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:
" Not every insight is eternal; some are tied to a specific prototype or test, while others about human nature last years. "
Day 3 Theme Panel
March 13, 2025
" The power of a bold idea uttered publicly in defiance of dominant opinion cannot be easily measured. "
The power to heal and harm
March 13, 2025
" Nothing is inherently better because it was produced by human intention or machine learning; interrogate the goal first. "
AI: Passionate defenses and reasoned critique [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
September 18, 2024
" Good ethical trauma responsive design should really be what we just call design — it should be intrinsic. "
Leading through the long tail of trauma
July 13, 2022
" Being trauma-informed means restoring a sense of safety, power, and self-worth. "
Leading through the long tail of trauma
July 7, 2022
" Being trauma informed is not a destination but a journey of continuous learning and unlearning. "
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
" There are 1.9 billion Google search results for trauma - an exponential increase showing its growing awareness. "
Learnings from Applying Trauma-Informed Principles to the Research Process
March 10, 2022
" To be anti-racist, you must be trauma-informed; to be trauma-informed, you must commit to anti-racist work. "
Trauma-Responsive Design: Reimagining the Future of Design Now
December 10, 2021
