What We Do
Plan and Implement
Capital Planning and Management Innovation, Diffusion and Adoption Research Project System Transformation Promote
Clinical Quality Coordinating Centers of Excellence Mental Health Promotion and Prevention Ohio Tobacco and Recovery Initiative Research and Evaluation Residency and Traineeship Program Solutions for Ohio's Quality Improvement and Compliance Protect and Monitor
Allocation Guidelines Block Grant Client Rights and Advocacy Community Plans Consumer Outcomes Fiscal Reporting Forms and Templates Legislation Licensure and Certification MACSIS Medicaid Patient Care System Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review Provide
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Childhood Trauma

The Childhood Trauma Task Force was convened in May 2005 to develop a strategic plan to address the impact that serious traumatic experiences can have on children over the lifespan, and to help infuse trauma-informed care principles and practices into all the child-serving systems, including the mental health system.  The Task Force is composed of representatives from a variety of disciplines and also includes consumers, trauma survivors and family members.  Four workgroups, co-facilitated by professional and consumer/survivor/family member partnership teams, are currently working on implementation strategies to address the four goals identified in the Childhood Trauma Strategic Plan:

1. Public Awareness/Education – this group is focused on developing public awareness/educational materials and activities to increase statewide understanding and awareness of the impact that traumatic experiences can have on individuals, families and communities.
2. Screening and Assessment – this group is evaluating trauma-focused screening and assessment tools for all child-serving systems, as well as methods to integrate trauma indicators into existent professional instruments to better inform  treatment interventions and referrals.
3. Training and Evidence-based Practices – this group is reviewing and developing/adapting trauma-informed training curricula for all child-serving systems and identifying trauma-focused evidence-based practices for mental health clinicians.
4. Data Collection and Analysis – this group is examining methods to collect and analyze intersystem data on trauma that can be shared within and across child-serving agencies to better identify and serve children and their families who have had significant traumatic experiences.

The Task Force is sponsoring a collaborative partnership between the Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS) and the Ohio Department of Mental Health for the TARGET Project, an evidence-based initiative that is training ODYS facility staff on trauma-informed principles and practices.  Staff from both agencies are working with incarcerated youth to help them develop skills to better self-regulate their behavior.  ODYS is also planning to implement a family support program to educate parents and other caregivers to interact more effectively and not inadvertently re-traumatize youth when they return to the community.

Letting the Light Shine Through
Includes information about the impact of trauma, effective interventions and Ohio-based programs, and the Childhood Trauma Strategic Plan developed by the Task Force.

Call to Action:  Reducing the Impact of Childhood Trauma in Ohio
This two-page summary focuses on the scope of the problem of childhood trauma as a collective public health concern and what actions Ohio's child-serving systems can take to address it. Trauma statistics and results of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study are featured in the document, which was updated in April 2009.

Regional Educational Forums Evaluation Summary
The Ohio Department of Mental Health, the Childhood Trauma Task Force and the Ohio Family and Children First Cabinet Council hosted 5 regional forums in November-December 2007.  This report summarizes the participant evaluation results.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has a wealth of information on trauma, its impact and evidence-based curricula and other technical assistance resources.

Childhood Trauma and the Transformation State Incentive Grant

The Childhood Trauma Task Force serves as one of the Content Working Groups of the Transformation State Incentive Grant.  The Childhood Trauma Task Force is charged with developing a strategic plan to address the impact that serious traumatic experiences can have on children over the lifespan, and to help infuse trauma-informed care principles and practices into all the child-serving systems, including the mental health system.

For more information, visit the Transformation State Incentive Grant page.

Links

www.NCTSN.org – The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has a wealth of information on trauma, its impact and evidence-based curricula and other technical assistance resources.

www.NCTIC.org – The National Center for Trauma-Informed Care has information on trauma-informed care practices and policy development approaches, along with training curricula.

www.NCPTS.org – The National Center of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has information and resources on how to assist persons who’ve experienced PTSD