TF-CBT With CBITS For Students That Experience Trauma
Trauma-informed schools are on the uprise as students' behaviors are being recognized as responses to trauma versus a disciplinary issue. Schools that utilize Cognitive Behavioral Interventions in Schools (CBITS) techniques support students who experience trauma and learn healthy coping mechanisms in the safety of a classroom. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) has been shown to be successful in treatment for school-aged children who have experienced a traumatic event(s). However, outside barriers some families experience can hinder the ability of a child to access TF-CBT in a clinical setting. The research measured the outcomes of students' treatment goals when exposed to a combination of school-based TF-CBT and CBITS in a trauma-informed school. Using surveys from teachers and student self-reporting measures, the outcome identified a correlation between positive change in a student's progression towards their treatment goals and TF-CBT in a CBITS setting. The need for further research is warranted due to limitations in laboratory settings such as a low amount of participants, a limited age range of participants, and more diversity among participants.
