Ideas

Last month, we partnered with Washington State’s Department of Ecology to deliver a workshop on trauma-informed practices for transformative community engagement. The session brought together more than 60 Ecology staff across programs, and the energy was palpable. Participants were engaged, asked powerful questions, and shared a strong desire for continued learning. Many reflected on how the tools we shared helped them think differently about building trust, navigating harm, and showing up with care.

As Chelsea Batavia, Environmental Justice Engagement Coordinator from the Department of Ecology, shared after the session:

“The Community Science team brought incredible energy and expertise to this collaboration. And the training was phenomenal! Jasmine Williams-Washington and Mariah Laird modeled a human-centered approach to engagement that puts critical self-reflection, cultural humility, and compassion at the core. The training provided us a framework for understanding how trauma-informed approaches and meaningful community engagement go hand in hand, along with concrete, actionable practices that challenge us in the best way possible. I, for one, have been processing what I learned and will continue to do so as I seek out opportunities to integrate these practices into our engagement toolkit at Ecology.”

Her reflection speaks to both the value of the content and the kind of partnership we strive to build—one rooted in trust, honesty, and real-time learning.

This work brings together two perspectives: Jasmine Williams-Washington’s work in transformative community engagement and shifting power to communities, and Mariah Laird’s experience in racial trauma and community healing work. In navigating this space, we’ve both seen how good intentions can fall short—especially when communities have long been overburdened, overlooked, or harmed by the very systems now asking for their input.

Below, we share some of the foundational practices we discussed in the workshop—ones we believe can support any organization seeking to build trust and shift power through community engagement. We believe that real community engagement isn’t just about showing up; it’s about how we show up and who we center when we do.

What It Means to Be Trauma-Informed and Transformative

Trauma-informed engagement means recognizing that people don’t just bring opinions—they bring lived experiences, including pain, fatigue, disconnection, and resilience. It’s on us to create conditions where people feel seen, respected, and safe enough to engage.

Transformative community engagement goes further. It’s the practice of intentionally shifting power to those most impacted, so they don’t just share feedback—they co-create solutions. It’s not about being the hero of the process. It’s about being a partner.

As Jasmine Williams-Washington often says: I don’t want to be right; I just want to get it right. That mindset is everything in this work.

Six Practices That Shift Power with Care

If you’re serious about community engagement, here are six trauma-informed practices that help build—not break—trust:

1. Create Conditions for Safety and Belonging
   Before you ask people to show up, make sure the space says: you belong here. That might mean language access, meeting in trusted locations, honoring local culture, or co-creating group agreements. Every choice is either a deposit or a withdrawal from the trust bank, as Jasmine Williams-Washington puts it. Make it count.
2. Acknowledge Harm and Build Accountability
   Don’t pretend the past didn’t happen. People remember being ignored, misled, or harmed by institutions. Name what’s true. If your agency has contributed to the harm, acknowledge it. Even if you weren’t personally involved, your presence represents the system. That honesty is a deposit that opens the door to repair.
3. Share Power Through Co-Design
   Ask yourself: who gets to shape this process? If the answer isn’t the community, rethink it. Invite people to help design—not just respond to—what’s happening. Pay them. Trust their leadership. When we let go of control, we often get closer to solutions that actually stick.
4. Normalize Healing and Collective Care
   Real engagement surfaces real emotion. Instead of rushing past it, make space for it. Grief, anger, joy, exhaustion—they all belong. Healing doesn’t happen on a timer, and care isn’t optional. It’s the culture we set.
5. Center Agency, Voice, and Choice
   Don’t assume people want to engage in the way you prefer. Offer different ways to participate. Respect different communication styles. Let people decide how and when they show up. It’s about creating options, not obligations.
6. Foster Interdependence, Not Just Participation
   If people only hear from you when you need input, you’re not building trust—you’re using it up. Relationships are the work, and relationships move at the speed of trust. Build in ways to stay connected between projects. Reciprocity and consistency are long-term trust bank deposits.

What to Do When Resistance Shows Up

Resistance doesn’t always mean disagreement; it often signals a deeper truth. Sometimes it sounds like frustration. Sometimes it shows up as silence. Instead of getting defensive, get curious. Ask yourself: What’s the unmet need here? or What past harm might be surfacing now?

When resistance is present, you have a choice: double down on being right, or slow down and create a path forward together.

We choose the second every time.

The Invitation

This work is layered and deeply human. It’s not about saying the perfect thing or having all the answers. It’s about how we show up, stay present, and make choices that build trust over time.

Because at the end of the day, power without care is harmful. And care without power doesn’t change systems. But together? That’s transformation. Let’s keep building, deposit by deposit.

If this resonated with you, stay tuned for our fall webinar where we’ll go deeper into these practices and the personal work that supports embodying them.