Trauma treatment supported
by two grants
Arielle, 16, a teen at Randolph Children’s Home, is excelling in school, working to become part of the Timberwolf leadership club and even has a job in town.
Her social worker, Anthony Walters, LCSW-R, credits her progress in large part to the trauma treatment she has received.
“She’s beginning to be empowered to manager her anger,” Walters said. “She still has a lot of anger, but she has resolved a lot, and she manages her anger so it doesn’t overwhelm her.”
Trauma has taken center stage in the treatment of children at New Directions Youth and Family Services.
“We recognize it’s the way to go,” Walters said.
New Directions Youth and Family Services is working on ways to address emotional trauma in youth, with the support of two grants.
A grant of $225,000 over three years from the John R. Oishei Foundation is funding a project to address trauma in seriously emotionally disturbed youth in residential treatment. Training and research is occurring at New Directions. The grant was awarded to the Care Management Coalition of Western New York, a group of agencies serving children and families.
The work is also supported by a $40,000 grant from the Robert J. and Martha B. Fierle Foundation.
Clinicians are being trained by Ricky Greenwald, Psy.D., executive director of the Child Trauma Institute in Greenfield, Mass., and a pioneer in research and treatment of traumatized children and adolescents. Direct care staff and foster parents are being trained by Dr. Greenwald as well as by Susan A. Green, LCSW, clinical associate professor in the School of Social Work at the University at Buffalo.
The pilot project began in 2006 in New Directions’ Titan House, which offers evaluation and treatment services. In 2007 it expanded to 100 youth at our Randolph Children’s Home. A social worker specializing in trauma treatment works in the residential program, in the therapeutic foster care program and in three of our group homes located in the area.
In February, the trauma treatment initiative will expand to include the youth in the residential program at Wyndham Lawn.
In addition, all of the clinical staff at New Directions’ residential and therapeutic foster care programs will be trained to provide the advantages of trauma informed treatment.
Without treatment, youth keep re-enacting the trauma they suffered. To an outsider, that pain may seem like bad behavior, with the child yelling at parents or teachers, refusing to do homework or chores, or even becoming violent. It can lead to multiple placements for the youth. It can become a trans-generational issue as parents pass these behaviors onto their children.
The therapist acts somewhat like a personal trainer to help the youth break out of the cycle, gain control and become strong.
In addition to using trauma treatment with Arielle, staff also worked with her family so they can be a support to her.
“Her creativity is coming through,” Walters said. “She writes beautiful poems, and always has, but now she’s beginning to wonder what it would be like to write a happy poem. She’s thinking about going to college. Possibilities are opening up to her.”
For more information about how trauma treatment at New Directions may help a youth on your caseload, contact Anthony Walters, LCSW-R, at (716) 358-3636, ext. 235. E-mail addresses are the first letter of the person's first name, followed by the last name, with the ending @ndyfs.org
Example: John Smith would be jsmith@ndyfs.org
Dec. 18, 2008