The MetroWest Evidence-based Trauma-Informed Referral & Treatment Initiative for Children (METRIC) - The MetroWest Evidence-based Trauma-Informed Referral & Treatment Initiative for Children (METRIC) will increase access to trauma-focused, evidence-based services for children and adolescents ages 2 to 18, and their families, in school and community-based settings in Waltham and surrounding MetroWest communities. Based at the Baker Center Waltham (BCW), a division of the Judge Baker Children's Center, this initiative will provide trauma-focused services to a projected 2,350 children and adolescents and their families during the five-year grant-period.
The METRIC initiative includes collaboration among BCW expert staff, the Waltham Public Schools and NCTSI-II Centers, including the Child Trauma Training Center at UMass Medical Center. METRIC will include comprehensive screening; assessment, evidence-based trauma-focused treatment, training for school and outpatient clinicians, and referral systems to strengthen the infrastructure supporting the long-term needs of the community. METRIC's multilingual clinical staff will be trained in four evidence-based practices to meet the needs of children and adolescents impacted by traumatic stress. Throughout the five-year project, we will engage MetroWest stakeholders including schools, early care and education providers, pediatric providers, hospitals, child welfare staff, faith-based organizations, and other child-serving organizations through educational outreach, development of screening and referral mechanisms, and consultation.
Metric will also employ a new Family Support Coordinator (FSC) at the Baker Center Waltham to assist parents and caregivers in navigating the treatment process and refer caregivers to needed community-based, culturally competent services. The FSC will also help families enroll in MassHealth (Medicaid) or private insurance as needed in order to ensure access to care.
METRIC will add to the knowledge base of both the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative network and ongoing trauma-focused initiatives in Massachusetts such as the Childhood Trauma Task Force. We will work collaboratively with local and state leadership to promote high quality trauma-focused care for vulnerable children and families and derive important lessons learned from this initiative that can be applied across our Commonwealth.
The METRIC initiative will positively impact thousands of underserved children and adolescents in Waltham and the MetroWest region of Boston. METRIC will improve the quality of trauma-focused care, further develop a trauma-informed system of care, and increase access for underserved populations including economically disadvantaged, Black and Latinx children and teens and LGBTQ+ youth. This five-year initiative will provide much needed support to vulnerable families for many years to come and through METRIC we will establish the necessary infrastructure and mechanisms to sustain this work into the future.
