Project Grant H79SM087795

ALABAMA TRAUMA SYSTEMS TREATMENT AND TRAINING INITIATIVE (ATSTTI) - GATEWAY'S ALABAMA TRAUMA SYSTEMS TREATMENT AND TRAINING INITIATIVE (ATSTTI) WILL INCREASE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, LEGAL ASSISTANCE, AND OTHER ESSENTIAL SUPPORT TO MORE THAN 500 FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH AGES 4-21 WITH TRAUMA EXPERIENCES WHO ARE AT RISK OF OR ARE CURRENTLY PLACED IN OUT-OF-HOME CARE BY THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES (DHR). ATSTTI WILL TRIPLE THE NUMBER OF MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAMS (MDT) PROVIDING EVIDENCED-BASED TRAUMA SERVICES THERAPY (TST) WHILE EDUCATING MORE THAN 900 CRUCIAL PARTNER STAFF AND CAREGIVERS, INCLUDING EDUCATORS, FOSTER PARENTS, AND DHR PERSONNEL. ATSTTI WILL OPERATE IN THE DHR REGIONS OF JEFFERSON/SHELBY, EAST CENTRAL, NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST, SOUTHWEST, AND TUSCALOOSA HUB. ATSTTI'S OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF FOSTER CHILDREN BY INCREASING FAMILY PRESERVATION, DECREASING MULTIPLE FOSTER CARE PLACEMENTS, AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF TRANSITIONS OUT OF FOSTER CARE. BUILDING ON THE SUCCESS OF THE FIRST TST-TRAINED MDT THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TRAUMA SYSTEMS THERAPY TRAINING CENTER AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (NYU) LANGONE'S DEPARTMENT OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY, GATEWAY WILL EXPAND ITS TST SERVICES AND MAKE AVAILABLE NYU'S RECENTLY RELEASED CURRICULUM FOR TRAINING ADULTS IN THE TRAUMA SYSTEM, NEVER LOOK AWAY (NLA). TST AND NLA FOCUS ON ALLEVIATING TRAUMA DISTRESS IN A CHILD'S LIFE BY ESTABLISHING THE CHILD'S EXPERIENCE OF SAFETY IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT. THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ATSTTI ARE AS FOLLOWS: GOAL #1 - INCREASE ACCESS TO AND ENROLLMENT IN EVIDENCE-BASED, TRAUMA-INFORMED TREATMENT (TRAUMA SYSTEMS THERAPY) FOR DISPROPORTIONATELY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN AND YOUTH. OBJECTIVE #1 - INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN SERVED BY THE EXISTING GATEWAY TST MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM BY 25% IN YEAR 1 (FROM 11 TO 14), TOGETHER WITH THEIR FAMILIES, FOR A TOTAL OF 43 ADDITIONAL PEOPLE SERVED. OBJECTIVE #2 - INCREASE THE NUMBER OF MDTS AT GATEWAYFROM ONE EXISTING TEAM TO THREE BY YEAR 3, WITH A CORRESPONDING INCREASE BY YEAR 5 IN TOTAL CHILDREN AND ADULTS SERVED FROM 23 TO 519. GOAL #2 - IMPROVE OUTCOMES IN CHILDREN SERVED THROUGH IMPLEMENTING TRAUMA SYSTEMS THERAPY WITH FIDELITY. OBJECTIVE #1 - BY THE END OF YEAR 3, ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF TST WITH FIDELITY. OBJECTIVE #2 - CHILDREN ENROLLED IN ATSTTI WILL DEMONSTRATE IMPROVED OUTCOMES MEASURED BY DECREASED FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT DISRUPTIONS, FEWER SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS AMONG FOSTER CHILDREN, INCREASED POSITIVE DISCHARGES FROM FOSTER CARE, INCREASED REUNIFICATIONS OF CHILDREN RETURNING HOME FROM FOSTER CARE, AND 90% SUCCESS WITH CHILDREN REMAINING IN THEIR BIOLOGICAL FAMILIES (FAMILY PRESERVATION). GOAL #3 - HELP KEY ADULTS (FOSTER PARENTS, SCHOOL PERSONNEL, AND DHR STAFF) GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PREVALENCE AND IMPACT OF TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES ON CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT, REALIZE THE WAYS THEY MAY BE UNKNOWINGLY RETRAUMATIZING CHILDREN IN THE TARGET POPULATION, AND UNDERSTAND THE ROLE THEY CAN PLAY IN HELPING CHILDREN RECOVER FROM TRAUMA. OBJECTIVE #1 - FORM AN ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR ATSTTI (AAC) COMPOSED OF FOSTER PARENTS, EDUCATORS, DHR STAFF, FORMER FOSTER YOUTH, BIOLOGICAL FAMILY MEMBERS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. OBJECTIVE #2 - TRAIN MORE THAN 95 FOSTER PARENTS IN NYU'S NEVER LOOK AWAY CURRICULUM TO RECOGNIZE TRAUMA AND AVOID RETRAUMATIZING. OBJECTIVE #3 - TRAIN MORE THAN 200 DHR STAFF SERVING CHILDREN IN THE PROJECT IN NYU'S NEVER LOOK AWAY CURRICULUM IN RECOGNIZING TRAUMA, AVOIDING RETRAUMATIZING AND ACCESSING TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE. OBJECTIVE #4 - TRAIN MORE THAN 600 TEACHERS AND OTHER KEY SCHOOL PERSONNEL IN NYU'S NEVER LOOK AWAY CURRICULUM IN JEFFERSON, SHELBY, AND BLOUNT COUNTY SCHOOLS THROUGH ONSITE AND REMOTE TRAINING SESSIONS IN UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA, HOW TO AVOID RETRAUMATIZING, AND HOW TO ACCESS TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE.