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Trauma assessment and treatment

Assessment

• The first step in understanding the impact of the traumatic event on the child/adolescent.

• Recognizes that survivors of traumatic events are unique from other clients.

• Intended to discover:

  • How the client's life has changed since the traumatic event, and how the client is coping with these changes.

  • The professional and personal supports available to the client.

  • How the client has made sense of the event (How and why did this happen? Who is responsible? How has this changed me?)

  • Whether or not the client's understanding of the event is reasonable and logical or if evidence of distorted thinking exists.

  • Whether or not the client's ability to perform normal developmental tasks has been affected.

  • Whether or not the client now fears or avoids certain people, situations, and/or objects.

• As these questions cone to be answered, the impact of the trauma on the survivor becomes apparent.

• The goal is to understand the impact, and to put interventions in place so that the client can find comfort, and move on with minimal lasting effects.

• Following the completion of a Trauma Assessment, a client may enter into a combination of individual and family therapy which is specific to their assessment recommendations.

Eligibility criteria

Please note exclusionary criteria.

For children under 12 years of age:

• Child must live in the Halton Region.

• Must have made a disclosure of physical, emotional or sexual abuse (can identify the event and the perpetrator).

• Disclosure must have been investigated and substantiated or validated by either Child and Family Services or the Police first.

For adolescents 12 to 18 years of age:

• Adolescent must live in the Halton Region.

• Must have made a clear disclosure of physical, emotional or sexual abuse (can identify the event and the perpetrator).

• Must have identified physical, emotional or sexual abuse as the primary presenting problem, and must have agreed to receive an assessment.

Treatment focus

• Preferably, the Clinical Member who completed the assessment will also provide the recommended treatment.

• There may be situations where the needs of the client are outside the scope of the center. In such cases, staff will assist in finding the necessary collateral service in the community where these needs can be met.

• In some cases, the client will be encouraged to participate in any required collateral services prior to receiving trauma treatment.