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 have to remember that not every insight has the same shelf life; some learnings are evergreen."
Day 3 Theme Panel
March 13, 2025
"Research is always embedded in power structures and historical context."
The power to heal and harm
March 13, 2025
"AI does work at this massive scale. It has a lot of systems level impacts."
AI: Passionate defenses and reasoned critique [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
September 18, 2024
"Burnout and trauma can be seen as related cousins; sharing symptoms and responses but distinct in their implications."
Leading through the long tail of trauma
July 13, 2022
"Trauma can show up in different ways and does not impact us all in the same way."
Leading through the long tail of trauma
July 13, 2022
"We want the topics to reflect the community's needs and experiences as we highlight diverse perspectives."
Everything You Need to Know about the Civic Design 2022 Call for Presentations
May 17, 2022
"Questions can be weapons; the language we use can harm participants before they even start."
Learnings from Applying Trauma-Informed Principles to the Research Process
March 10, 2022
"I almost did not make it here today, but my family has recovered from COVID, yet the lingering fear from that experience remains."
Trauma-Responsive Design: Reimagining the Future of Design Now
December 10, 2021
"When working with humans, assume everyone has the potential for trauma to show up in interactions."
Leading through the long tail of trauma
January 1, 1970
