October 2013
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), along with key partners at Bluebonnet Trails Community Center and Heart of Texas MHMR Center, have undertaken an initiative to improve the behavioral health service system for children and youth who have been impacted by exposure to traumatic events. Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the partners collaborate with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) to improve service delivery and develop products and tools for dissemination. The goal of the initiative is to implement evidence-based screening, assessment, and treatment practices within the service delivery system and transform systems to provide care that is consistent with the values of trauma-informed care.
The initial year of the initiative focused on the establishment of state and local oversight committees, outreach to state and community partners, especially youth and parents with experience in the system, and the implementation of Trauma-Focused CBT within the two service delivery organizations. In addition, efforts to begin identifying strategies to assess for readiness to implement trauma-informed care initiatives were planned.
Authors
Dr. Molly Lopez
Dr. Tina Adkins