The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. The SITCAP-ART program has been rated by the CEBC in the area of: Trauma Treatment (Child & Adolescent).

• Types of Maltreatment: Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Physical Neglect, Emotional Abuse, Exposure to Domestic Violence
• Target Population: At-risk and adjudicated youth, ages 12-17, with a history of trauma and/or loss.

The SITCAP-ART program is a comprehensive trauma intervention program, modified from the original Structured Sensory Intervention for Traumatized Children, Adolescents and Parents (SITCAP) program initially researched in 2001. SITCAP-ART is designed specifically for at-risk and adjudicated youth. SITCAP-ART integrates cognitive strategies with sensory/implicit strategies. When memory cannot be linked linguistically in a contextual framework, it remains at the symbolic level for which there are no words to describe. To retrieve that memory so it can be encoded, given a language, and then integrated into consciousness, it must be retrieved and externalized in its symbolic perceptual (iconic) form (Steele, 2003). SITCAP-ART, which is followed by cognitive or explicit strategies, supports moving from victim to survivor thinking allowing changes in negative behaviors (aggressive and rule-breaking behavior) and making adolescents more resilient to future traumas. There are over 50 Certified Trauma Specialists in the state of California using the SITCAP-ART program.

Education:

• Provides empowerment, sense of safety and reduces anxiety.
• Identifies process and what to expect through use of structuring statements
• Provides a booklet, “A Trauma is Like No Other Experience” in the program component.

Debriefing Session: Each adolescent is scheduled for an individual, one-hour debriefing session prior to beginning the group process.

• Alleviates need for adolescents to reveal difficult details in the group setting.
• Normalizes adolescent’s experience.
• Provides an opportunity through the use of specific questions to redirect the adolescent’s understanding of the impact that this experience has had on their life and how this intervention process will help bring the adolescent relief from the trauma specific symptoms.

Focus on Themes, not Behavior:

• Attempts to treat the sensory experiences of trauma that fuel and drive the adolescent’s behavior rather than treat the behavior itself.

Intervener as Witness vs. Clinician:

• Must be involved in the adolescent’s telling of their experience by being curious about all that happened.
• Must be very concrete and literal in response to all the elements of the experience, its details and the visual representations provided by the adolescent.
• Must not analyze the adolescent.
• Must see how the victim now views himself and the world around him following the trauma.

Drawing/Sensory Component:

• The experience of trauma is stored in implicit memory and is transcribed into iconic representations/visualizations.
• Iconic symbolization is the process of giving our experience a visual identity. Images are created to contain all the elements of that experience - what happened, our emotional reactions to it, the horror and terror of the experience.
• Drawings provide a representation of those “iconic” symbols that implicitly define what that experience was like for the adolescent, how that adolescent now views themselves and those around them.
• Drawing becomes a vehicle for communicating and externalizing what that experience was like.

Trauma Specific Questions and Details:

• Trauma specific questions have been designed to help in the telling of the story and the provision of those details that allow intervener witnesses to better understand what the experience has been like for the adolescent.
• Details can provide a sense of control as well as sense of relief.
• Details also can provide information that helps to make sense out of what happened and may still be happening with the adolescent.

Cognitive Reframing:

• Scripted in SITCAP-ART to insure that the victim is provided a “survivors” way of making sense of their trauma experiences.
• The goal is to help move participants from “victim thinking” to “survivor thinking” which leads to empowerment, choice, and active involvement in their own healing process and a renewed sense of safety and hope.

Parent Component:

• Learning about trauma helps them to more adequately respond to the adolescent.
• Helps primary caregivers who themselves have been traumatized just by educating them about trauma.

SITCAP-ART was designed with a child component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms:

• All problems and symptoms that fall under the PTSD diagnostic sub-categories of re-experiening, avoidance and arousal.

Age range: 12 – 17

Developmental Delays:

This program was not developed for children with developmental delays, and has not been tested for children with developmental delays.

SITCAP-ART was designed with a parent/caregiver component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms:

• Parent of an adolescent experiencing PTSD due to exposure to violent or nonviolent trauma situations.

SITCAP-ART was designed to be conducted in a group setting, and has been tested for use in a group setting.

Recommended group size:

6 participants.

Testing References:

Raider, M. C., Steele, W., Delillo-Storey, M., Jacobs, J. & Kuban, C. (2008). Structured sensory therapy (SITCAP-ART) for traumatized adjudicated adolescents in residential treatment. Residential Treatment for Children & Youth, 25(2), 167-185.

Recommended Intensity:

One hour-long session per week.

Recommended Duration:

Eight to Ten weeks in length.

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

• Community Agency
• Outpatient Clinic
• Residential Care Facility
• School

This program does not include a homework component.

SITCAP-ART does not have materials available in a language other than English.

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

• One facilitator
• Program manual and workbook
• 8.5"x11" white paper
• Colored pencils
• Chairs and tables
• Music

Intervener: Minimum two (2) day TLC Institute training required, Minimum 1 year group experience with adjudicated adolescents, Preferred Master's Level Education.

Supervisor: Supervision provided by Master's Level TLC Institute trained professional.

There is a manual that describes how to implement this program, and there is training available for this program.

Training Contacts:

• Dr. William Steele
  bsteele@tlcinst.org
  phone: (877) 306-5256
• Caelan Kuban
  ckuban@tlcinst.org
  phone: (877) 306-5256

Training is obtained:

On-site or via TLC Institute national training conferences.

Number of days/hours:

3 to 5 days of training.

Additional Resources:

There currently are additional qualified resources for training:

• Dr. William Steele – TLC Institute
  Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
• Margaret Delillo-Storey – Multi-County Juvenile Attention Center
  North Canton, OH
• Jacqueline Jacobs – Collaborations for Resiliency in Children
  Forsyth and Pickens County, GA

This program is rated a "3 - Promising Research Evidence" on the Scientific Rating Scale based on the published, peer-reviewed research available. The practice must have at least one study utilizing some form of control (e.g., untreated group, placebo group, matched wait list study) establishing the practice's benefit over the placebo, or found it to be comparable to or better than an appropriate comparison practice. Please see the Scientific Rating Scale for more information.

Child Welfare Outcome: Child/Family Well-Being