Treating the Lifelong Harm of Childhood Trauma

Child First is a program in Connecticut, where staff members deliver home-based parent guidance and child-parent psychotherapy to help prevent the detrimental physical and mental effects of toxic stress on children. The engagement is guided by an evidence-based methodology called Child-Parent Psychotherapy, which is grounded in collaborative problem solving.

Partnering cops and clinicians has led to a cultural change in New Haven's police department. Their definition of a victim extends past the person with physical injuries in order to help children from violence-stricken households, a more comprehensive approach.

Assertive community treatment teams working through outreach-centered programs in Maricopa County have become an industry standard for treating those with persistent and severe mental illnesses who have recently been incarcerated. They provide a long-term approach, aiming to halt a cycle of incarceration and hospitalization by focusing on underlying issues such as what caused the police interaction and incarceration.

As more research has found links between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and negative health outcomes, a growing number of organizations and sectors are incorporating trauma-informed screening and training into their work. Police officers, primary care pediatricians, parents, and school counselors are moving away from the question "what's wrong with you?" to ask "what happened to you?"

Integrating behavioral health care with primary pediatric care helps address chronic, long-term issues. Using grant funding, Pediatric Partners of the Southwest improved its approach to health care. The introduction of screenings for social determinants of health allows pediatricians to direct families to the proper resources.

In a Buffalo school district where many students from low-income families struggled with trauma, attendance, and the effects of poverty, a nonprofit initiative called Say Yes to Education is implementing drastic change. The program increases graduation rates for minority students, grants scholarships and admissions guidance to colleges, provides medical and mental health care to under-served students, brings in mentors and after-school programs, and even assists students parents with job-readiness workshops and housing assistance.

The Boys' Club of New York addresses the mental health crisis among at-risk boys by providing structured programming, peer mentorship from alumni staff, and a culture of belonging across three clubhouses and roughly 2,500 members.

Small Midwest towns are converting homes and commercial spaces into clusters of small, fully-equipped childcare facilities that house multiple independent family childcare providers under one roof. Using blended funding from federal dollars, state grants, and local development funds, communities build or renovate spaces that comply with less restrictive family childcare licensing, providing care for small, mixed-age groups of children while sharing resources like substitute teachers, administrative support, and retention bonuses, all in an effort to close childcare gaps.

The Quinault Indian Nation’s Family Wellness Court provides a culturally relevant alternative to traditional Western court systems that focuses on healing rather than punishment. 100 of the 400 tribal courts in the country have wellness courts for adults, families and youth, providing substance use disorder support, mental health care, and other family support services.

Home-based counseling services, like those provided by Youth Villages, help relieve understaffed hospitals struggling with boarding delays for patients experiencing a mental health crisis. Of the 536 children and teens who have opted to try these diversion services, 82% have not returned to the ER for mental health concerns and 92% have met their treatment goals or were referred for further treatment services.