Rachael Dietkus, LCSW
Digital Services Expert in Design & Social Work, United States Digital Service
Rachael Dietkus is a pioneering social worker-designer specializing in trauma-informed care and ethics within civic and public interest design and technology. With nearly 25 years of experience in social justice, Rachael most recently was the first social worker ever hired at the United States Digital Service, where she focused on integrating trauma-informed practices into federal technology projects. As the founder of Social Workers Who Design, she consults globally on design, research, and strategy projects, nurturing trauma literacy and care humility among designers. Rachael is an RSA Fellow, a Design Council Expert, and a contributor to key publications, including "Feminist Designer" and the forthcoming "This is Journey Management" and "Designed with Care: Creating Trauma-Informed Content." She is also working on her first book on care, trauma, and design with MIT Press. Rachael's work bridges the gap between social work and design, advocating for more humane, care-centered approaches in public service delivery and civic tech.
Rosenverse talks by Rachael:
" Just throwing numbers at people does not engage them; pairing data with personal stories or quotes makes the findings resonate. "
Day 3 Theme Panel
March 13, 2025
" Minimizing harm protects institutions, not people. "
The power to heal and harm
March 13, 2025
" It's all about balance: being aware of AI’s issues while remaining open to its incredible opportunities. "
AI: Passionate defenses and reasoned critique [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
September 18, 2024
" Journaling your stress triggers helps you become self-aware and anticipate stress responses rather than fight them. "
Leading through the long tail of trauma
July 13, 2022
" You cannot heal your way out of death or oppression by reforming oppressive systems; you can only do so when you dismantle them. "
Leading through the long tail of trauma
July 7, 2022
" People from different cultures have different ways of experiencing and showing trauma; body language is not universal. "
Leading through the long tail of trauma
July 7, 2022
" We pay all of our speakers and provide both subject matter and professional speaker coaching to polish your presentation. "
Everything You Need to Know about the Civic Design 2022 Call for Presentations
May 17, 2022
" Even offering an 'other' category in gender questions implies the participant deviates from a presumed norm. "
Learnings from Applying Trauma-Informed Principles to the Research Process
March 10, 2022
" We need integrity designers who are proactive and minimize the damage that is certain to happen in services we design. "
Trauma-Responsive Design: Reimagining the Future of Design Now
December 10, 2021
