Organizational Wellbeing in High-Trauma Environments: A Trauma-Informed Framework to Protect the Protectors

February 2026
Researcher: Shelsu Pacific Law Corporation

Organizational Wellbeing in High-Trauma Environments: A Trauma-Informed Framework to Protect the Protectors examines how health regulators and healthcare organizations can strengthen public protection by embedding trauma‑informed principles not only in external regulatory processes, but also across internal governance, leadership, and workforce practices. Regulatory activities such as investigations, fitness‑to‑practice proceedings, and sexual misconduct complaints are inherently stressful and can unintentionally retraumatize complainants, harm participants, and expose staff and leaders to vicarious trauma. Drawing on nearly two decades of professional experience across law, regulation, health, and trauma‑informed practice, the paper highlights how organizational culture, leadership competency, and emotional intelligence are decisive factors in resilience, decision‑making quality, and public trust.

Authors

S. Ball

Executive Summary

Health regulators and healthcare bodies are uniquely positioned to effect positive systemic change when trauma-informed approaches are embedded organization-wide. While trauma-informed care is well recognized in clinical settings, there are opportunities to apply these lessons for staff and boards within healthcare regulatory settings.

Regulatory processes such as investigations, fitness-to-practice proceedings, and sexual misconduct complaints can be inherently stressful and emotionally charged. They can also often be high-profile. These processes may unintentionally re-traumatize complainants, cause trauma to other participants, and create vicarious trauma to regulatory staff. When trauma-informed principles are applied both externally (in complaint handling and public-facing functions) and internally (in governance, leadership, and workforce practices), organizations can:

• Strengthen public trust through transparency and fairness

• Enhance psychological safety and resilience among staff

• Reduce organizational risk related to burnout, turnover, litigation, and reputational harm

• Improve decision-making quality and effectiveness

This paper outlines the conceptual foundations, governance implications, leadership responsibilities, and practical steps health regulators and healthcare organizations can take to become trauma-informed organizations to essentially protect the people who protect the public. It is informed by 19 years of cumulative observational research through professional experience across overlapping fields of sexual misconduct investigation, law, policy development, regulation, health, trauma-informed practice, oversight, and leadership. It reflects qualitative insights from evidence gathered through:

• Leading complex and highly sensitive matters

• Regulatory staff managing emotionally intense caseloads

• Observation of organizational cultures in handling serious and complex matters

Leader competency, emotional intelligence, and cultural health consistently stood out as determinants of organizational resilience, which was informed by application, or lack thereof, of trauma-informed approaches.

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