Young children exposed to trauma are at risk for significant cognitive, social and emotional problems. Trauma can negatively affect children's brain development, readiness to learn and family relationships. Such experiences may include acute traumatic events or chronic traumatic situations. Traumatic stress results when exposure overwhelms a child's ability to cope with the experience. These experiences include:

• Exposure to family and community violence.
• Sexual and physical abuse.
• Loss or death of a parent.
• Significant medical procedures and hospitalizations.
• Natural disasters.
• Serious accidents.
• Terrorist attacks.
• Wars and other types of political violence.
• Intergenerational transmission of traumatic stress.

CTI provides state-of-the-art, evidence-based training for Bay Area mental health clinicians designed to enhance knowledge about the treatment of traumatized children aged birth through five. Participants will have the opportunity to develop or expand skills in relationship-based treatment for children and families with an emphasis on the impact of trauma in early childhood.

CTI was founded in response to a community need for training in the developing specialty of trauma treatment in early childhood mental health. The Institute is sponsored by JFCS' Parents Place San Francisco in cooperation with the University of California/San Francisco General Hospital Child Trauma Research Project. Seminars and case consultations will be provided by Alicia Lieberman, Ph.D., Director of the UCSF/SFGH Child Trauma Research Project (CTRP), CTRP faculty and staff, and Child Trauma Training Institute Director Lesley Sternin, L.C.S.W.

The core of the training will teach the principles of Child-Parent Psychotherapy, an empirically-supported, relationship-based treatment for children aged birth to five and their families. Child-Parent Psychotherapy practice is responsive to the cultural-ecological context of the family and the developmental level of the child. Intervention guidelines are designed to assist the clinician in alleviating the effects of trauma on young children. This cutting-edge treatment approach was developed and evaluated by Dr. Alicia Lieberman and her colleagues at the UCSF/SFGH Child Trauma Research Project, a nationally-recognized treatment program for children aged birth to five and their families.

The program is designed for mental health clinicians who want to gain skills and enhance competence in providing treatment to children aged birth to five and their families who have been exposed to trauma. A limited number of professionals working in public and private settings will be accepted into the program. Professionals in private practice may also apply.

Scholarships will be awarded to each selected participant to underwrite training costs; only a one-time $100 fee per participant for materials is required. For optimal benefit, participants' agencies are asked to make a commitment to supporting their release time to attend CTI trainings.

• Yearlong training program.
• One-day intensive training on trauma theory, practice and research.
• Monthly 2 ½ hour didactic trainings.
• Bi-weekly 1 ½ hour group consultation for integration of theory and practice.
• Readings to deepen understanding and knowledge of the impact of trauma.
• Completion of pre- and post-evaluations of knowledge about trauma's impact on children and families.
• Continuing Education Units available for LMFTs and LCSWs.
• Certificate of completion of CTI program will be awarded.

For applications and information contact:

Lesley Sternin, L.C.S.W.
CTI Director, JFCS
LesleyS@jfcs.org
415/359-2476

Funding for scholarships to the Child Trauma Training Institute is provided by grants from the Lisa & John Pritzker Family Fund, the Ingrid D. Tauber Philanthropic Fund, individual donations and fees.