The effectiveness of phasic, family-based, trauma-informed treatment within a Canadian community mental health center

Abstract

Interpersonal trauma affects children and families in multiple domains and leads to wide a wide range of symptoms. Those at higher risk of trauma and its impact tend to be those with limited access to quality mental health treatment and frequently served at community mental health clinics. Despite the nuances of trauma treatment and prevalence of trauma in these underserved populations, rarely do community mental health settings house dedicated trauma treatment teams. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a triphasic, family-based trauma treatment for children provided by a dedicated trauma team within a community mental health setting. This retroactive case-review study involved 31 families presenting for trauma treatment at a community mental health setting in a large Canadian city. T-tests and reliable change indices were used to compare pre- and posttreatment means across various domains. Treatment gains were large and statistically significant across all domains and reliable change from pre- to posttreatment was likewise found across all domains. These findings suggest that tri-phasic, family-based trauma treatment for children provided by a dedicated trauma team in a community mental health setting is a promising and effective option to address the chronically underserved high-risk and low-­resourced segments of the population.