Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health
(July 2008 – June 2011)
Principal Investigator: Dorsey, Shannon
Co-Investigators: Berliner, Lucy; McMahon, Robert
Problem
Youth living in foster care experience disproportionately high rates of mental health problems compared to other youth. Mental health difficulties have been linked to a range of negative outcomes in terms of placement stability, permanency and functioning. Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), an evidence-based practice, potentially provides an excellent match for the predominant mental health needs of youth residing in foster care, because TF-CBT addresses aftereffects of trauma, behavior problems, and other co-occurring difficulties (Cohen, Deblinger, Mannarino, & Steer, 2004, Deblinger, Lippman, & Steer, 1996). However, our team’s research, clinical experience, and findings from dissemination research suggest that there may be complexities in providing TF-CBT to youth in foster care.
In other research, utilization of particular evidence-based engagement strategies has been shown to effectively improve both initial and ongoing engagement (McKay et al., 2004). Although these strategies have been successful with a range of families, they have not been tested with foster parents and some adaptation or refinement may be required to be most effective with this population.
Goal
Examine TF-CBT plus evidence-based engagement strategies for youth in foster care. Determine if additional engagement strategies are needed to fully engage foster parents in their youth’s mental health treatment. Obtain information on clinician, foster parent, and youth satisfaction with the intervention and preliminary information on child outcomes and impact on placement stability.
Next Steps
Findings from this pilot study will inform a larger-scale randomized clinical trial (R-01) to examine effectiveness of TF-CBT in improving outcomes for youth in foster care.
The Chadwick Center for Children Services conducted the Kauffman Best Practices Project Final Report and found TF-CBT to be a best practice (an evidence based practice) in the field of child abuse treatment. Also of interest is the 2004 Child Physical and Sexual Abuse: Guidelines for Treatment.
For more information on TF-CBT and other evidence-based practices for treating child trauma, please visit The National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
If you are a masters-level mental health clinician or provider, and are interested in obtaining training in TF-CBT, there are two free online training resources. They have basic training and, once basic is completed, training on using TF-CBT with childhood traumatic grief.
Funded by the Department of Social and Health Services DSHS Mental Health Division under Federal Block Grant Funding
Facilitated by Harborview Sexual Assault Traumatic Stress Center (Lucy Berliner, LCSW, PBHJP faculty & Laura Merchant, LCSW)
The DSHS Mental Health Division funds training in TF-CBT for clinicians working in mental health agencies that have contracts with their local Regional Support Network (RSN). The WA State Initiative is now in its third year. Teams of clinicians (1 supervisor, 2 clinicians) are invited to attend a two-day training in TF-CBT and receive six months of bi-weekly, one-hour phone consultations with a TF-CBT expert. Clinicians who participate in these activities receive a certificate of completion. Core learning session participants are also eligible to attend annual one-day trainings, as available on advanced subjects (e.g. Working with Parents, Advanced Training on the Trauma Narrative, Supervisor Training).
In addition to the two-day core learning session, administrators from the RSN and each agency are encouraged to attend a half-day training on organizational issues related to adoption of TF-CBT to facilitate RSN and agency support at all levels.
Dr. Shannon Dorsey, University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science’s PHBJP division faculty member, is an expert consultant and provides training for the Initiative.
The Chadwick Center for Children Services conducted the Kauffman Best Practices Project Final Report and found TF-CBT to be a best practice (an evidence based practice) in the field of child abuse treatment. Also of interest is the 2004 Child Physical and Sexual Abuse: Guidelines for Treatment.
For more information on TF-CBT and other evidence-based practices for treating child trauma, please visit The National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
If you are a masters-level mental health clinician or provider, and are interested in obtaining training in TF-CBT, there are two free online training resources. They have basic training and, once basic is completed, training on using TF-CBT with childhood traumatic grief.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; 2010 – 2012)
PI: Kathryn Whetten, Ph.D. (Duke University)
Co-Investigator: Dorsey, Shannon
Pamoja Tunaweza is a NIMH-funded project designed to examine the feasibility of providing Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), for Childhood Traumatic Grief (CTG) to orphaned youth in Tanzania (Whetten, PI; Duke University School of Medicine). Dr. Shannon Dorsey, faculty at PBHJP, is a Co-Investigator on the project. Among the high number of youth orphaned in sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 11.4 million lost one or both parents to AIDS (UNAIDS, 2006). Many of these youth are taken into the homes of relatives. Prior research by our team indicated that one of the primary problems reported by guardians, even rivaling concerns about tangible, concrete needs (e.g., food, shelter, school fees) was a reported lack of skills to support children and adolescents with grief and sadness. In Pumoja Tunaweza, local providers are trained and supervised in TF-CBT for CTG. The intervention is delivered in 12 child, guardian, and conjoint groups (1.5 hours). The goal is to investigate the acceptability and feasibility of delivering TF-CBT for CTG in a low-resource setting, in both an urban and rural environment, and to obtain preliminary child and adolescent outcomes. Findings from Pamoja Tunaweza will inform a larger randomized trial of TF-CBT for CTG in Tanzania.
NIMH-funded 2010-2012
MH081764
PI: Kathryn Whetten, Ph.D. (Duke University)
The Pumoja Tunaweza TF-CBT team
A cognitive triangle in Kiswahili
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