Age Well at Home is expanding its services to share its unique approach with Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) through a new two-year consulting partnership beginning July 1, 2024.

Age Well at Home spent the last three years being trained by Johns Hopkins University on a person-centered approach in serving marginalized, older adults who are struggling to stay in their homes. We also recently completed a two-year training with HFHI and a cohort of two Habitat affiliates serving homeowners who have experienced significant trauma in their lives.

Through these training experiences, we have developed a unique Person-Centered Trauma Informed (PCTI) approach that we will be guiding others to use through this new partnership.

The PCTI approach is based on the recognition that many behaviors and responses expressed by survivors are directly related to traumatic experiences. The goal is to create a safe environment while building skills and empowerment that is tailored to the individual.

The PCTI approach creates solutions based on a person’s:

  • Lived experiences and history
  • Unique needs and preferences
  • Strengths and abilities
  • Goals and aspirations

After years of successfully working with hundreds of homeowners who have experienced trauma in their lives, Age Well at Home has been asked to support and train a new group training of HFHI affiliates. Through this new consulting partnership, we will support five affiliates in implementing the PCTI approach in working with homeowners in their communities.

The five affiliates that we will support have experienced environmental disasters in their communities. Systemic racism has played a role in how these disasters have impacted them and their recovery from the experience.

Principles of a Person-Centered Trauma Informed Approach:

  • Safety
  • Trust
  • Empowerment
  • Voice
  • Choice
  • Collaboration

By sharing PCTI principles, we intend to help affiliates build more effective relationships with those who have experienced trauma in order to provide better care and services. These principles will create the environment where homeowners feel that they are in control of how services will be provided in an equal partnership.

Age Well at Home staff will be meeting with Habitat for Humanity International affiliate staff regularly to share how we have implemented a PCTI approach as an organization with homeowners and how our staff support one another to be more effective in implementing PCTI principles. We see this new partnership as an opportunity to help other organizations better serve their communities.