State Certification in Trauma-Informed Care Launches

Governor Green taking a selfie with summit participants.

The Office of Wellness and Resilience (OWR), recently launched its Learning and Leadership Collaborative at the second-annual Kūpa‘a Maoli Ola, Hawai‘i’s Wellness and Resilience Summit. Governor Green welcomed more than 175 state employees to the summit in Kāne‘ohe.

Governor Green noted that the culture change of becoming a trauma-informed state and committing to do better by our people, makes the state a better employer and service provider.

The Learning and Leadership Collaborative includes the state’s first certification in Trauma-Informed Care, an eight-module course covering an introduction to trauma and resilience, the principles of trauma-informed care, as well as how to implement this approach in the workplace for ourselves, our colleagues and with the people we serve. The content is presented in a hybrid mix of in-person training and asynchronous video modules, housed on the DHRD training website, which will launch in early 2026.

After completion of the course, employees will be enrolled into a cohort community of other employees across all state departments. Each will receive more training from top experts locally and nationally, as well as coaching and technical assistance for their individual and organizational trauma-informed care and resilience goals. All state employees are encouraged to become certified trauma-informed care professionals, especially those working in public-facing roles.

A Train-the-Trainer opportunity will also be available in late 2026 for change makers in our state workforce who want to become certified trainers in trauma-informed care and help lead their workplaces with a trauma-informed approach.

“This is just the beginning. I’m looking forward to working with OWR Director Tia Hartsock and her team on the next chapter of this work, which is how we prevent and lessen the health effects of childhood trauma,” said Governor Green. “It costs too much when it comes to the well-being of our state, not to mention the financial impact to our healthcare system — currently upwards of $40 billion per year.”

For more information about the OWR Learning and Leadership Collaborative, visit https://owr.hawaii.gov.