I am unclear why this has to be an either/or answer. Yes, being trauma informed and increasing connectedness can facilitate healing. Sometimes. But sometimes, being able to identify a severe mental health episode as such, and knowing that what they are currently experiencing has a name and it is beyond my capability to keep them safe at that moment, and then to get them the appropriate expert care is going to be the difference between life and death. Literally. Isn't there room for both tactics to be correct?
I work in corrections. I have enough training respond differently when I meet an offender in the hallway who has eyes down, slow gait, and wiping tears from his eyes. I will calmly and quietly approach, ask him about his day, offer to listen, offer to contact his therapist if he has one, the chaplain, crisis intervention specialist. I will be sure he is not feeling as though he will harm himself or others, that he doesn't have a plan for harm. I will make sure that staff in his cellhouse are aware. When I meet an offender in the hallway who is having a loud and contentious conversation with himself, yelling that the voices won't stop, pounding his head upon the wall, I will immediately make a radio call for help from the experts. And yes, I will likely not say that Bob is having a bad day. I will likely say that Bob is having a mental health crisis, so that mental health and nursing staff respond.
I think so much of our opinion on this depends on our experience. Peter, I see you are a fire fighter/EMT, so you likely see people in crisis, as I do, and often these are people we have no long term relationship with, unlike those who work in education or non profit where perhaps you have a long term relationship that you are able to connect and help heal in that regard.