Healing Hurt People (HHP): Integrating Peer Services with TF-CBT for violently injured youth. - Healing Hurt People (HHP): Integrating Peer Services (PS) with Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for violently injured (VI) racial and ethnic minority youth. HHP is a hospital and community-based violence intervention program providing peer support, trauma therapy, and case management to Philadelphia children (ages 8 to 18) who have been violently injured (shootings, stabbings, assaults) or witnessed such violence. Founded in 2007, HHP is part of Drexel University's Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice (CNSJ) in the College of Medicine and Dornsife School of Public Health. In 2020, 199 children were shot in Philadelphia, an increase of 83% from 2019. Physical assaults are also highly prevalent. The School District of Philadelphia reported 774 assaults in the 2018-2019 academic year. Many violently injured youths (VIY) are released from the hospital having received physical care, but no services related to their emotional suffering. Over 60% of VIY in Philadelphia experience PTSD symptoms. Untreated PTSD will potentially derail a child's healthy development and significantly increase the risk for substance abuse, suicidality, poor mental health, and impairing overall functioning at home, school, and in the community. Goal 1: Increase the number of violently injured children who access trauma-specific services via flexible/assertive outreach strategies. Objective 1.1: Staff will introduce services through bedside visits, phone outreach, and home-visits to 200 unduplicated children/families in Yr1; 220 in Yr2; 220 in Tr3; 220 in Yr4, and 220 in Yr5. Objective 1.2: 60% of those outreached each year will receive trauma psychoeducation. Objective 1.3: A brief acute needs assessment will be completed with 60% of participants outreached. Goal 2: Decrease traumatic stress symptoms/increase daily functioning in VIY by delivering PS with TF-CBT. Objective 2.1: 70% of children who receive PS with TF-CBT will report reduced trauma symptoms at discharge. Objective 2.2: 70% of children who receive PS and TF-CBT will report improved daily functioning at discharge. Goal 3: Increase coping skills/wellbeing among VIY through participation in a culturally relevant group therapy. Objective 3.1: 10 children will attend CYPHER group session in Yr1; 20 in Yr2; 30 in Yr3; 40 in Yr4; 50 in Yr5. Objective 3.2: 80% of those attending CYPHER will improve wellbeing as measured at discharge. Goal 4: Increase child serving organizations knowledge of trauma/impact on VIY to increase referrals to HHP and access to trauma services. Objective 4.1: Staff will provide in-service or Trauma 101 presentations to 60 direct care professionals across child serving systems in Yr1; 80 in Yr2; 100 in Yr3; 120 in Yr4 and 140 in Yr5. 65% of attendees will exhibit increased knowledge of trauma and ability to use trauma-informed practices through post session evaluation surveys. Objective 4.2: Referrals to HHP from partner child serving organizations will increase 15% each year. Number of Unduplicated Individuals to be Served: Yr 1, 120; Yr 2, 132; Yr 3, 132; Yr 4, 132; Yr 5, 132; Total, 648.
