|
Special Projects
In addition to its six
different programs, Washburn is currently involved in several other
special projects which are working to both broaden our connections
in the community as well as increase the impact we have on our children:
New Model For Day
Treatment
Washburn Center for Children has implemented an intensive early
intervention program for some of our community’s highest risk
young children. These are children that have already experienced
significant trauma in their lives and who can be expected to fail
in school and in life without such intervention. The conceptual
framework for this program has integrated current research from
the fields of brain development, childhood trauma, self-regulation,
and attachment. Information gathered from Dr. Bruce Perry’s
research as well as the National Child Traumatic Stress Network
shows that chronic traumatic events impact children’s development.
The Day Treatment program provides the stability
and expertise needed to teach children the skills that are the building
blocks for school success and social and emotional development.
Day Treatment supports families to provide greater stability and
to be actively involved in their child’s learning experiences.
Over the past five years Dr. Anne Gearity has
been working with the Day Treatment team to integrate and refine
a new treatment model based on self-regulation. This model is unique
in that it integrates the latest research in attachment, brain development,
self-regulation and treatment of childhood trauma into a community-based
program. This is a new approach to understanding challenging children.
The Day Treatment program’s ongoing evaluation
project with Dr. Trish Beuhring, from the University of Minnesota,
and Dr. Anne Gearity, Program Consultant, will be convening a national
advisory council of nationally and internationally recognized experts
in the fields of evaluation, child trauma, and treatment to provide
feedback on the Day Treatment program’s ongoing evaluation
project and innovative treatment model, and to provide guidance
on the next steps to continue and further expand this three year
project. The initial evaluation results from a review of outcomes
information supports this model as a promising and innovative approach
to the treatment of child trauma. A Training and Evaluation Manual
will also be completed this year to support and expand training
on the treatment of child trauma and the sustainability of outcomes
evaluation efforts. This project has been made possible through
support from the Bush Foundation
For more information about the Day Treatment Model
at Washburn Center for Children, go to the An
Intensive Early Treatment Model Article.
Child Trauma Grant
Dr. Abi Gewirtz from the University of Minnesota, Arlene Schatz,
LICSW, Washburn’s Director of Clinical Services, and other
community providers are working together this year to implement
a four year federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA). The Minnesota Child Response Center
(MnCRC) project aims to integrate evidence-based treatment models
into the community system of care for traumatized homeless and formerly
homeless children in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and to create a continuum
of care for highly diverse groups of underserved children and families.
Part of this project involves training and then evaluating the effectiveness
of two evidence-based treatments for child trauma: Parenting Through
Change and Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
School-Mental Health
Initiative
Washburn Center for Children, in its continuing attempt to increase
access to mental health services has recently begun working with
two Minneapolis schools – Longfellow and Tuttle Schools. Lisa
Holmberg, LISCW and Joseph Robinson, LICSW, LADC, both experienced
therapists at Washburn Center for Children, are providing a range
of prevention, early intervention, assessment and therapeutic services
for students and families, as well as training and consultation
services for teachers at Longfellow and Tuttle Schools.
The goal of this project is to increase access
to mental health services for children and families in a convenient
and comfortable setting, while providing training and consultation
services for teachers to increase knowledge and awareness about
children’s mental health. Both schools are culturally diverse
and from cultural backgrounds that have traditionally been underserved.
Students referred to the school-based therapists may be getting
suspended, struggling with worry, sadness, loss or attention difficulties
that are affecting their ability to complete their school work,
or having difficulty adjusting to stresses at home.
As the program continues, data is being collected
to evaluate effectiveness and in hopes of expanding these services
to additional schools. Washburn is excited to be a part of this
program that is providing help to students within these schools
to lead healthier and more successful lives both now and in the
future. Other providers involved in this collaboration include La
Familia Guidance Center, the Mental Health Collective and NorthPoint
Health and Wellness Center. Mark Sander, PsyD, LP, Senior Psychologist
at Hennepin County, and Jim Johnson, LICSW, MPS Lead Social Worker,
are the project coordinators.
Evidence-based Practice Pilot Project
Three Washburn programs are working closely with Dr. Pat Nygaard
from the Minnesota Department of Human Services Children’s
Mental Health division and Dr. Edward Taylor from the University
of Minnesota on an Evidence-based Practices Pilot Project.
This three year study involves:
- Evaluating the effectiveness of providing
therapists with access to a database of evidence-based services.
- Active participation and gathering information
from families, therapists and administrators.
- Implementing two new outcomes instruments
– the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and
the Child and Adolescent Service Intensity Instrument (CASII).
Results will be used to help expand the
use of evidence-based practices across the state, improve the quality
of mental health services for children and families, and further
evaluate the validity and reliability of the SDQ and CASII. For
more information on how this project originated go to: http://www.hawaii.gov/health/mental-health/camhd/library/webs/ebs/ebs-index.html
|
