Building Trauma-Informed School Systems: Integration of Clinical Services and Educator Supports through the MTSS Framework to Support Trauma-Exposed-Youth - The Medical University of South Carolina’s National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center (NCVRTC) proposes to implement “Building Trauma-Informed Schools Systems: Integration of Clinical Services and Educator Supports through the MTSS Framework to Support Trauma-Exposed Youth,” a comprehensive, trauma-informed continuum of services for trauma-exposed children, adolescents, and families through the SAMHSA National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) Category III Program. The project will serve youth residing in the Charleston Tri-County region of South Carolina and will address significant barriers to mental/behavioral healthcare experienced by trauma-exposed youth and families, particularly those facing challenges related to transportation, service availability, financial hardship, stigma, and limited access to evidence-based treatments. The proposed project will utilize an integrated Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework that combines school-based services with the NCVRTC’s established Community Outreach Program–Esperanza (COPE) model to increase identification, engagement, referral, and treatment of trauma-exposed youth. Services will be delivered across three tiers of support. Tier 1 activities will include universal trauma screening, psychoeducation for youth and caregivers, trauma-informed schools training, educator resilience programming, and enhanced referral pathways. Tier 2 activities will include delivery of evidence-informed early intervention services, including Psychological First Aid (PFA) and Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR), and targeted coping-skills groups for youth demonstrating trauma-related distress. Tier 3 activities will include evidence-based behavioral health treatment through Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Risk Reduction Through Family Therapy (RRFT) for youth experiencing significant trauma-related symptoms, co-occurring substance use disorders, and functional impairment. The project seeks to achieve the following goals: (1) increase identification of trauma-exposed youth through systematic screening and referral procedures; (2) improve access to evidence-based and evidence-informed behavioral health services; (3) reduce barriers to care through school-based and community outreach service delivery; (4) strengthen workforce capacity through training, consultation, and implementation support; and (5) improve behavioral health, functioning, and resilience outcomes for trauma-exposed youth and their families. Services will be delivered in schools, homes, community settings, clinic locations, and via telehealth as appropriate to maximize accessibility and engagement. The project will incorporate robust performance measurement, fidelity monitoring, and continuous quality improvement activities to support implementation and outcomes evaluation. Data collected throughout the project will be used to monitor service utilization, implementation fidelity, participant outcomes, and systems-level changes. Through an integrated school-based and community-based approach, the proposed project will expand access to effective trauma services, strengthen trauma-informed systems of care, and improve the behavioral health and well-being of children, adolescents, and families impacted by trauma throughout the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
