Project Grant H79SM084861

PACTT (PROVIDING ADOLESCENTS AND CHILDREN WITH TRAUMA FOCUSED TREATMENT) - OUR PROPOSED PROJECT PACTT (PROVIDING ADOLESCENTS AND CHILDREN TRAUMA FOCUSED TREATMENT) WILL PROVIDE TRAUMA SERVICES IN MIAMI DADE COUNTY FL, ONE OF ONLY A FEW COUNTIES IN THE US WITH A RACIAL/ETHNIC "MINORITY MAJORITY" POPULATION. WHILE PACTT WILL SERVE A COUNTYWIDE CATCHMENT AREA, IT WILL HEAVILY FOCUS ON TWO COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCING DISPROPORTIONATE TRAUMATIC EVENTS WITH CORRESPONDING IMPACTS ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES: (1) HOMESTEAD (SOUTH DADE); AND (2) OVERTOWN. THESE CATCHMENT AREAS SHARE COMMON DENOMINATORS SUCH AS POVERTY REFLECTING STARK RACIAL DIMENSIONS, FREQUENT INCIDENCES OF VIOLENT CRIMES, INCLUDING GANG VIOLENCE, POOR QUALITY SCHOOLS, AND OTHER SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INEQUITY. AMONG MIAMI-DADE YOUTH, 15.2% REPORT FOUR OR MORE ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACES), WHICH ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO HIGH DEPRESSION RATES (FYSAS 2020). OVER THE FIVE YEAR PROJECT PERIOD, WE WILL PROVIDE TRAUMA-FOCUSED COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (TF-CBT) TO APPROXIMATELY 107 CHILDREN (5-11), AND 249 ADOLESCENTS (12-17) AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO EXPERIENCE, OR ARE AT-RISK FOR EXPERIENCING, TRAUMATIC EVENTS SUCH AS COMMUNITY VIOLENCE, FAMILY VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ABUSE, PHYSICAL ABUSE, BULLYING, AND INCLUDING POLY-VICTIMIZATION (MULTIPLE TYPES OF VICTIMIZATION). AGE WISE, ABOUT 17% WILL BE 5-9 YEARS OF AGE, 19% 10-12 YEARS OLD, 41% 13-15 YEARS OLD, 23% WILL BE 16-17 AND 65% WILL BE FEMALE. THE RACIAL/ETHNICITY BREAKDOWN IS EXPECTED TO BE AS FOLLOWS: HOMESTEAD - 15,434 HISPANIC 67%; BLACK 21%, AND WHITE 12%; AND OVERTOWN = 1,173 BLACK 75%; HISPANIC 20%, AND OTHER 5%. PROJECT PACTT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED BY JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES OF SOUTH FLORIDA, INC (JCS). FOUNDED IN 1920, JCS HAS PROVIDED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO OUR MIAMI DADE COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS. WE PROVIDE A SINGLE HIGH-QUALITY STANDARD OF CARE FOR ALL CLIENTS SEEKING SERVICES INDEPENDENT OF RACE, RELIGION, IDENTITY, AND GENDER. MOREOVER, WE MANAGE THE 2-1-1 HELP LINE 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK IN ALL LANGUAGES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND THE COMMUNITY WHEN THEY ARE IN CRISIS AND/OR DO NOT KNOW WHERE ELSE TO TURN. WE WILL LEVERAGE OUR 5+ YEAR EVALUATION PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MILLER (UM) MILLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE'S DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE FIELD OF TRAUMA-RELATED MENTAL DISORDERS TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE TRAUMA-FOCUSED TREATMENT. OUR OVERARCHING PACTT GOAL IS TO: PROVIDE AND INCREASE ACCESS TO EFFECTIVE TRAUMA-FOCUSED TREATMENT AND SERVICES SYSTEMS FOR 375 CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO EXPERIENCE TRAUMATIC EVENTS IN MIAMI-DADE AND PARTICULARLY IN OVERTOWN AND HOMESTEAD. WE ARE SUCCESSFULLY WRAPPING UP A SAMHSA CHILD TRAUMATIC STRESS INITIATIVE AND, WITH SAMHSA'S HELP, LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS LIFESAVING WORK UNTIL WE ARE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THESE EFFORTS WITHOUT FEDERAL ASSISTANCE, A GOAL THAT WAS ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY COVID'S ECONOMIC TOLL ON OUR COMMUNITY.