School systems are pressured to raise the level of academic achievement, but children who are exposed to trauma often bring a complicated set of needs to the classroom that can impact their willingness to learn, their cognitive function, their ability to form lasting relationships, and even their physical health. For school mental health…

Developed out a community participatory research partnership with schools, the Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools Program is a targeted intervention for school children who have experienced a traumatic or violent event and have symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. This article describes the original development of the…

Exposure to community and interpersonal violence is a public health crisis that adversely affects many children in American communities. After witnessing or experiencing trauma, many children experience symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression, behavioral problems, substance abuse, and poor school performance. The Support for…

A team of clinician-researchers from several institutions collaborated to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention designed to help children traumatized by violence. Reported findings include: (1) Students who participated in the program had significantly less post-traumatic stress symptoms, less depression, and less psychosocial…

The Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) was developed for use by school-based mental health professionals for any student with symptoms of distress following exposure to trauma. The Supporting Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET) was adapted from CBITS for use by any school personnel with the time and interest to work with…

This tool kit is designed for schools that want to help students recover from traumatic experiences such as natural disasters, exposure to violence, abuse or assault, terrorist incidents, and war and refugee experiences. It focuses on long-term recovery, as opposed to immediate disaster response. To help schools choose an approach that suits their…

Background: Students are unable to benefit from many school programs designed to address their mental health needs if their parents do not consent to their participation. As part of an ongoing effort in a large urban school district to meet the mental health needs of students traumatized by violence exposure, this paper examines the impact of…

Project Fleur-de-lis[TM] (PFDL) was established to provide a tiered approach to triage and treat children experiencing trauma symptoms after Hurricane Katrina. PFDL provides school screening in schools in New Orleans and three tiers of evidence-based treatment (EBT) to disaster-exposed children utilizing a public health approach to meet the…