The loss of a loved one, abuse, and other traumatic experiences can have a lifelong effect on a child’s life. Adults who experienced trauma as children may deal with mental health disorders, substance abuse, or other effects as a result. To help families comprehensively understand and deal with their trauma, CCRC is building upon our Family Well-Being Division to incorporate specialized therapy.
CCRC is hiring therapists, a program assistant, and a clinical supervisor to support our Children and Youth Behavioral Initiative (CYBHI). Under this initiative, we are launching Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) in Los Angeles County and Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) in San Bernardino County. Our goal is to support families in a holistic way to ensure a family’s needs are met and so they can thrive.
The Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a components-based psychosocial treatment model that incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral, attachment, humanistic, empowerment, and family therapy models. This treatment model is designed to support children and their families to address a wide array of traumatic experiences. Including multiple traumas. In general, TF-CBT addresses the unique needs of children with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, behavior problems, and/or other difficulties related to traumatic life experiences. Children do not need to be the full criteria of PTSD to participate in TFCBT. Recent studies have demonstrated that children’s presenting problems significantly decrease after only 12 TFCBT sessions (NCTSN).
Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is an early intervention model for children aged 0-5 who have experienced one or more traumatic events, attachment difficulties, and/or behavioral problems as a trauma response. CPP integrates a focus on the way the trauma has affected the parent-child relationship and the family’s connection to their culture and cultural beliefs, spirituality, historical trauma, immigration experiences, parenting practices, and traditional cultural values. CPP enables families to heal and grown together by focusing on safety, affect regulation, improving the child-caregiver relationship, normalization of trauma related response, joint construction of a trauma narrative, with the goal of returning the child to a normal developmental trajectory.
The expansion of our mental health services is just one more way CCRC is working to offer comprehensive supports for families. The Family Well-Being Division already offers mental health consulting to child care providers who encounter children with trauma-related mental health concerns. A survey found that 100% of participants in that program saw improvements in the behavior of children in their care. They valued the feedback sessions, support system, new strategies for handling behavior issues, and tools to deal with pandemic impacts on children and staff.
Since 1976, CCRC has supported families in their child care journeys and beyond. Evolving to include a diverse array of services from mental health to nutrition and physical health supports, CCRC aims to address a family’s complete needs and enable children to thrive. Our growing team of over 1,200 staff work across CCRC’s service areas of Northern Los Angeles County and all of San Bernardino County. To support our diverse staff, CCRC offers a comprehensive benefits package, vacation and sick time, and other incentives, as well as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Division that empowers the unique cultures and identities of staff. To apply for one of these open positions click here.
