Trauma & New Hampshire Youth
Many New Hampshire youth are impacted by traumatic events, such as abuse, neglect, homelessness, family or community violence, and natural disasters. Some tough moments in life bring families, caretakers, and children to the attention of the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
Many children in these systems have experienced multiple traumatic events. When a child is removed from his or her family, additional traumatic events can occur.
Traumatic experiences can reduce a child’s ability to cope and handle feelings; however, most children can recover from trauma.
Creating a Trauma-Informed & Evidence Based Child Welfare Justice System
The Division of Children, Youth, and Families recognized the traumatic experiences of children in their care and saw an opportunity to address this issue.
The Division focused its child welfare and juvenile justice systems on trauma screening, assessment, identification, treatment, and evidence-based interventions.
The goal is to create a more trauma-informed and evidence-based child welfare and juvenile justice system, through the following initiatives. The hope is that ultimately, children will recover from traumatic events and lead healthy lives.
The New Hampshire Bridge Project
The Bridge Project screens youth entering the juvenile justice system for trauma.
Youth assessed with a history of trauma are referred to providers trained in evidence-based treatment for trauma.
The Breakthrough Series Collaborative
The Breakthrough Series Collaborative, with Casey Family Programs and National Child Traumatic Stress Network, are running a pilot project with the Claremont District Office of the Division of Children, Youth, and Families and West Central Community Mental Health Center.
The Breakthrough Series Collaborative was sponsored by Casey Family Programs, to bring state teams together to develop new ways of making systemic change in a very short period of time and sustaining meaning impact.
NH team consisted of community mental health provider, foster parents, youth and family representatives, Dartmouth Medical School, and DCYF.
The Partners for Change Project
The Partners for Change project is led by the Dartmouth Trauma Intervention Research Center in partnership with the Division of Children, Youth, and Families.
With a grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, the project will focus on the assessment, monitoring, and case planning for children and families who have experienced trauma and are seeking help.
Partners for Change is now in its second year of planning and moving towards implementation.
The NH Adoption Preparation and Preservation Project
The Division of Children, Youth, and Families was awarded a second US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families grant, called the NH Adoption Preparation and Preservation Project.
The project works to assure that children, who have experienced trauma in care outside their own homes, will have successful adoptions.
The overall grant goal is to develop evidence-informed resource family assessment, child matching processes, screenings related to family functioning, training for adoption competent staff and providers, and referral to evidence-based family treatments.
Both PFC and NHAPP are funded by the US DHHS, ACF Children's Bureau, Adoption Opportunities program, 2013-2018.
For additional information about NHAPP, contact Eileen Mullen, MSW or Catherine Meister.
For additional information about DTIRC or PFC, contact Kay Jankowski, PhD.