Workshop Details

SESSION: C6
ROOM
DATE Thursday, June 18, 2015
TIME 8:00am-10:30am
ABSTRACT CATEGORY Population Focus
ABSTRACT TITLE

We asked, they told, and we treated: Trauma Screening and Treatment in Los Angeles Unified School District
ABSTRACT SUMMARY

We present a public mental health approach to creating trauma-informed schools. This approach includes screening a targeted group of students (for example, all 9th grade students, newcomer students, students with multiple behavior referrals) for trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Participants will gain practical tips and clinical tools regarding implementation of screening and an overview of a trauma-specific and evidence-based treatment program used in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

ABSTRACT DESCRIPTION

We present a public mental health approach to creating trauma-informed schools. This approach includes screening students for trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms. By screening targeted groups of students, we prevent the likelihood of their “falling through the cracks” in mental health referral and treatment. Urban adolescents are at highest risk for trauma exposure and are the least likely to have access to mental health treatment. This population-level approach may potentially prevent negative student outcomes such as behavior problems, suicide, school non-attendance and failure. Targeted screening provides outreach, engagement and collaboration between school-based health centers, parents, students and host schools. One of the goals of this presentation is to present a framework for practical, ethical, and clinical implications of trauma screening based on our best practices and lessons learned over the last ten years. Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest district in the country, has screened students, primarily low-income ethnic minority urban adolescents, for trauma over the last decade, and we have found that over 50% of students report PTSD symptoms in the clinical range indicating eligibility for treatment. The presentation will provide an overview of the Cognitive Behavior Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program, evidence of program impact on academic and mental health outcomes, and practical guidance on program implementation at schools and school-based Wellness Centers. Workshop participants will receive examples of the life experiences and PTSD symptom screening tool, the CBITS program outline, and parent and teacher engagement materials to add to their clinical toolboxes. Additionally, this workshop will present the implications of trauma screening and treatment in schools on academic success. The projects ultimate goal is to identify under-served students that have experienced trauma, assess clinical symptomology, link students to appropriate mental health services based on student desire and clinical appropriateness.

PRESENTER(S)

NAME: Kimani  Norrington-Sands  PhD  ORGANIZATION: Los Angeles Unified School District, School Mental Health
NAME: Courtney  Pender  MSW  ORGANIZATION: Los Angeles Unified School District, School Mental Health
NAME: Alejandra  Acuna  MSW, LCSW, PhD  ORGANIZATION: Los Angeles Unified School District, School Mental Health

  
AUDIENCE
ADMINISTRATORS: Y
PRIMARY HEALTH: N
MENTALHEALTH: N
ORGANIZATIONAL: Y
PUBLIC HEALTH: Y
EDUCATION: N
YOUTH: N
 
 
   

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