The built environment has an immensely powerful impact and influence on our emotions and behaviors. This presentation will introduce the audience to the benefits and strategies of Trauma-informed Design (TiD). Through a deep understanding of trauma and its impacts we will explore how design can enhance patient and staff experience while increasing operational efficiency resulting in beneficial financial outcomes. Utilizing case studies and stories of success, we will highlight ways to successfully integrate TiD. Together, we are committed to creating uniquely designed therapeutic environments where all users can experience healing with a sense of safety, hope, dignity, and connection.
Presenters: Janet E. Roche, Christine Coward and Candice Barter
Janet E. Roche, MDS, CAPS, is a leader in designing for health and wellness. She received her master’s in design for Human Health within the Masters of Design Studies program at the Boston Architectural College (BAC). Currently, she teaches Biophilia and Trauma-informed Design at the college. Janet received her B.S. in Social Work from Boston University, and her Certificate of Business and Management from Harvard University Extension School. She is now engaging her love of design, helping others, and business by owning her own company, Janet Roche Designs, LLC. Her company believes that they can find real design solutions to the human condition. In 2019, she launched her own podcast, Inclusive Designers™, and in 2020 founded Trauma-informed Design Society (TiDS) along with Christine Cowart and Davis Harte. Further, in 2023, Janet and Christine started Trauma-informed Design Consultants, LLC. In 2022, TiDS won the Certificate of Research Excellence (CORE) from Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA).
Christine Cowart, MA, CTP, is dually-certified as a trauma professional by Florida State University and the International Association of Trauma Professionals, and is a member of the ACEs Connection’s Speakers and Trainers Bureau. She has built a career in the human services field, with a focus on criminal justice and family services policy. Through this work, she developed an in-depth understanding of trauma, its possible effects, and what can be done to change the story.
Candice Barter, AIA, NCARB, EDAC, has nearly 20 years of health design experience and has led and collaborated on a wide array of complex healthcare projects, including specialized pediatric designs and academic medical centers. Candice excels in planning, programming, and project management, closely collaborating with her clients to achieve the shared goal of providing top-tier patient and staff comfort. Candice implements a human-centric and research-based approach to design.
