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:
" Science advances not from the center, but along those edges and on the margins. "
AI: Passionate defenses and reasoned critique [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
September 18, 2024
" We need to handle our own stuff first to give others permission to show up as human at work. "
Leading through the long tail of trauma (Videoconference)
July 13, 2022
" There are no best practices because trauma responses are so individual and culturally specific. "
Leading through the long tail of trauma (Videoconference)
July 13, 2022
" Our workshops stretch the usual 6-hour in-person content across 10 virtual hours in multiple segments with breaks to ease virtual fatigue. "
Everything You Need to Know about the Civic Design 2022 Call for Presentations (Videoconference)
May 17, 2022
" Compensation is not just about money, it’s about supporting the participant holistically. "
Learnings from Applying Trauma-Informed Principles to the Research Process
March 10, 2022
" Trauma is a rupture in meaning making; the way you see yourself, the world, and others is shocked and overturned by an event. "
Trauma-Responsive Design: Reimagining the Future of Design Now
December 10, 2021
" You cannot heal your way out of death or oppression by reforming oppressive systems or making them more user-friendly. "
Leading through the long tail of trauma (Videoconference)
January 1, 1970
