CHILD TRAUMA ASSESSMENT CENTER

Helping children overcome trauma

Child & Family Services’ Child Trauma Assessment Center provides transdisciplinary trauma assessments to children and adolescents. Our specially trained clinicians serve children ages 2-18 and accept referrals from the Department of Health and Human Services, pediatricians, school personnel, local courts, behavioral health providers, and families in need of comprehensive, trauma-based assessment services.

BROCHURE

SUCCESS STORIES

WHAT IS TRAUMA?

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), such as witnessing or experiencing abuse or neglect, addiction, homelessness, or divorce, have proven to keep a child’s brain from developing properly and increase the liklihood of chronic disease, mental illness, substance abuse, and violence.

Children exhibit the effects of trauma in many different ways, including behavior issues in the classroom and at home, nightmares or sleepwalking, hypervigilance, bed-wetting, delayed developmental milestones, and the inability to regulate their emotions.

We’ve learned that children are not trying to “push our buttons” or be “bad” with their behaviors. They are reacting to triggers they associate with trauma.

Assessments evaluate intelligence, speech and language skills, fine and gross motor skills, sensory processing, trauma exposure and its effects, behavioral
changes, depression, anxiety, attention difficulties, and fetal alcohol effects. We
individualize each assessment and select the appropriate tools based upon the need of the child. After each assessment, comprehensive reports are created, detailing findings and recommendations that are shared with caregivers and referral sources.

WHAT DOES AN ASSESSMENT PROVIDE?

WHAT IS TRAUMA INFORMED CARE?

The Center's trans-disciplinary team makes recommendations to equip caregivers and anyone who works with a child dealing with trauma with intervention tools needed to help the child increase resilience, improve functioning, and reach their full potential.

Trauma-informed practices educate and include all stakeholders engaged with a child and his/her family. These interventions go beyond treating the symptoms of trauma and are directed at the relationship between trauma and its consequences.

Over 25% of American youth will experience a serious traumatic event before their 16th birthday.

Around 15% of those who had experienced a serious trauma developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Children in foster care are twice as likely to suffer from PTSD than US war veterans.

Michigan ranks as one of the lowest states (41 out of 50) in incidence of abuse and neglect.