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:
" We haven’t lost our power as a discipline — we just need to reclaim agency and make others recognize the power we already hold. "
Day 3 Theme Panel
March 13, 2025
" The pressure to produce insights quickly defines many organizations shaped by 'move fast and break things' culture. "
The power to heal and harm
March 13, 2025
" The greatest scientific breakthroughs tend to come from edge cases, which AI tends to ignore. "
AI: Passionate defenses and reasoned critique [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
September 18, 2024
" Trauma is such a loaded word, and it’s a psychological experience shaped by our individual perception of an event. "
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
" Consent is ongoing; check in repeatedly during interviews about participants’ comfort and willingness. "
Leading through the long tail of trauma
July 7, 2022
" You are allowed to say white supremacy culture here, even if you can’t say that in your day-to-day work. "
Everything You Need to Know about the Civic Design 2022 Call for Presentations
May 17, 2022
" Research participants doing research in their own communities can create safer, richer research conversations. "
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
