Burke’s FY 2023 National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative – Category III: Community Treatment and Service (CTS) Centers (NCTSI) Grant Program endeavors to improve, enhance, and expand capacity for trauma and grief counseling, case management, and care coordination within the East Texas region. This project shall target underserved and under-resourced children, adolescents, and their families who have experienced trauma and traumatic events in twelve counties: Angelina, Houston, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, and Tyler. The NCTSI Program shall serve 120 individuals each year, with a cumulative 500 unduplicated individuals served over the project period. Through use of these funds, Burke shall expand current service delivery capacity through evidence-based, clinical-informed treatment of complex trauma, and enhance current training systems, population health outcomes, and other quality management activities to improve quality and effectiveness of trauma-informed care by adding 2.0 FTE Therapists, 4.0 FTE MH Clinicians, 0.50 FTE Trainer, and 0.50 FTE Project Evaluator. These staff shall reach the historically under-served target population, reduce specific Social Determinants of Health (SDOHs) related to economic instability and access to care, and build upon current therapeutic children and adolescent-specific projects.
Project staff will focus on measurable objectives, including increasing screening for trauma at Centralized Intake by 500 per year, reduce trauma symptomology for children who screen positive by 10%, implement outreach events with community partners, coordinate with Texas Christian University’s Karyn Pruvis Institute of Child Development, and train 50 staff members annually on trauma-informed interventions. Burke shall formally partner with eight (8) organizations within the community, including four (4) school districts, two (2) sheriff’s offices, one (1) child welfare agency, and one (1) university. The NCTSI Program will emphasize reaching historically underserved populations through utilization of telehealth services for sustained engagement in services. The Therapists will provide trauma and grief counseling to the population of focus, and the MH Clinicians will work with the Therapists to link consumers with recovery support systems across the continuum of care and to improve retention, maintenance, and daily functioning post-project. The Trainer shall provide education to both grant-funded staff and Burke personnel on trauma-informed evidence-based practices. Finally, the Project Evaluator will endeavor to monitor health outcomes and inequity across the project timeline to address appropriate interventions when needed.