Table 1.

Relevant definitions for a racially, culturally specific and trauma-informed approach.

Term	Definition
Trauma	Trauma is the experience of an event or enduring condition in which the individual and/or community experiences a threat to life, the psychic, or bodily integrity and experiences intense fear, helplessness, or horror. A key aspect of traumatic experiences is that the individual and/or community’s coping capacity is overwhelmed.
Structural Trauma	Harm to people that prevents them from meeting basic needs and is embedded in social, political, and economic organizations and systems—including poverty, racism, gender inequality, and other forms of human rights abuses (Schultz et al., 2016, p. 43).
Historical Trauma	An event or set of events perpetrated on a group of people or their environment who share a specific group identity that causes catastrophic upheaval (i.e., annihilation or disruption to traditional lifeways, culture, and identity) with effects that can persist across generations (Schultz et al., 2016, p. 43).
Trauma-informed approach	The manner in which a program, agency, organization or community thinks about and responds to those who have experienced trauma (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2014). The adapted definition implies a change in the organization culture to ensure that all components of the organization incorporate a thorough understanding of the prevalence and impact of trauma (broadening trauma to include aspects that are particularly relevant for Afro/Black Latina survivors e.g., historical trauma and systemic trauma), the role that trauma plays (in the lives of individuals and communities) and the complex and varied paths in which people recover and heal from trauma (including cultural healing; Serrata & Notario, 2016; SAMHSA, 2014).