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:
" I made the mistake of arguing in the chat instead of slowing down and asking the group what would make qualitative data persuasive for them. "
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
" Giving people control over their work is just as important as validating their experiences to reduce burnout. "
Leading through the long tail of trauma
July 13, 2022
" There are no best practices in trauma-informed design because every person and culture is unique. "
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
" Attendee cohorts meet daily in small groups with facilitators to share learning goals and deepen engagement. "
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
" Trauma lives in the body as pain, tension, or numbness and does not impact everyone the same way. "
Trauma-Responsive Design: Reimagining the Future of Design Now
December 10, 2021
