From Evidence-Based Practice to Trauma Informed Training: Bottom-Up Dissemination of a New intervention for Early Childhood Trauma

Objectives. This presentation will describe the dissemination of an evidence based treatment (EBT) – Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) – in Israel, and the development of subsequent, trauma-informed training programs for... [ view full abstract ]

Objectives. This presentation will describe the dissemination of an evidence based treatment (EBT) – Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) – in Israel, and the development of subsequent, trauma-informed training programs for professionals working with traumatized children and their families. CPP, a dyadic intervention for young children exposed to traumatic events such as parental death, family illness, armed conflict, and child maltreatment, was chosen for dissemination by the Haruv Institute (HI), which offers training in the field of child maltreatment. Within Israel, much attention has been given to the effects of armed conflict on children; but no evidence-based interventions had been implemented for this population of young children.
Methods. HI provided CPP training to five cohorts of experienced professionals in a bottom-up dissemination plan, with the expectation that they would bring the EBT to their workplaces. The institute also created a training-the-trainer program to create a cadre of lecturers and supervisors among outstanding CPP graduates.
Results. The dissemination of CPP resulted in two outcomes. Firstly, over 100 clinicians began using CPP in the public and private sectors, offering a service previously unavailable for children ages 0-5 in Israel. Secondly, the trauma-informed principles of CPP, seen to be highly relevant to both social services and mental health organizations, were conceptualized and offered as training programs to a wide variety of agencies. They included the foster care system, social welfare agencies, child-parent centers, residential treatment and emergency centers, and more. Programs were tailor-made to fit the needs of each agency. CPP trainers provide much of the training in these agencies. Hundreds of professionals have been trained by these trauma-informed training programs.
Conclusions. An EBT disseminated in a "bottom-up" plan enables both delivery of a new intervention, as well as opportunities to infuse a new, trauma-informed focus into a therapeutic culture previously lacking this perspective.