Many people at CUPS have experienced trauma. For some it’s intergenerational trauma. For others they have experienced domestic violence. For others still, they have lost their children due to a variety of circumstances and have had to fight to get them back.

Trauma shows up in different ways for different people and CUPS is continuing to establish a safe community space that gives room for people to feel secure and comfortable when they first come in the doors. 

Being trauma-informed means that you have the tact and prowess to recognize and empathize with the impact of trauma. It doesn’t mean you have to understand exactly what someone has gone through, most of us can’t. But it does mean you can appreciate that certain moments, scenarios or experiences could be extremely triggering or traumatic to someone. 

The newly opened Welcome to CUPS space has several elements that were strategically designed with trauma-informed care in mind. 

Private spaces

One key component are the pods for initial conversations with CUPS care coordinators. Instead of having to share their story in an open room, individual pods provide a comfortable and private space for clients to have an initial conversation with someone from CUPS. It’s through these initial conversations that clients are able to be connected to resources and programs that can help them begin their step forward to a stronger future. 

Ceremony space

A ceremony space was another key element included in the redesign of CUPS. This sacred space through our Indigenous programming gives a safe, reflective space for staff and clients to participate in a smudging and other traditional rituals that can be healing and comforting in the face of trauma. 

Focus on mental health

For someone who has experienced trauma, mental health recovery is just as important as taking care of their physical health. In addition to adding five rooms for mental health support, CUPS now has a group counselling space available to support with additional trauma healing. 

From the carefully thought out spaces to the focus on “what happened to you” instead of “what’s wrong with you?” CUPS is bringing a trauma-informed approach to the forefront of our integrated care approach to building resilience and creating a stronger community.