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Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up – Early Childhood

Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up – Early Childhood (ABC-EC), developed for children ages 2 through 4, targets several key issues that have been identified as problematic among children who have experienced adversity and/or demonstrate socioemotional or behavioral concerns. These young children often behave in ways that push caregivers away. The first intervention component is designed to help caregivers reinterpret children’s behavioral signals so that they provide nurturance even when it is not elicited. Nurturance does not come naturally to many caregivers, but children who have experienced adversity especially need nurturing care. Thus, the intervention aims to help caregivers provide nurturing care even if it does not come naturally. Second, many children who have experienced adversity are dysregulated behaviorally and biologically. The second intervention component is designed to help caregivers provide a responsive, predictable, warm environment that enhances young children’s behavioral and regulatory capabilities. The intervention aims to help caregivers follow their children’s lead with delight. The third intervention component is designed to help caregivers implement calming strategies and be present psychologically and physically when their child is dysregulated.

Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up – Infant (ABC-I) is rated separately on this website.

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Home Visiting Programs for Child Well-Being
Scientific Rating 3

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (Birth to 5)
Scientific Rating 3

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

High

Apart of Me

Apart of Me is a game-based digital companion tool designed to guide young people through their grief journey. It combines therapeutic tools, interactive gaming, peer support, and guided exercises to help users process loss. Thus, the program fosters emotional expression, builds resilience, and prevents isolation. Additionally, caregivers receive support resources to help them assist grieving youth effectively. By including elements of co-design, young users are encouraged to engage in the creative development of the platform, making it a youth-led initiative aimed at building emotional resilience and preventing isolation.

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Topic Areas

Digital Mental Health Interventions (Youth/Young Adult)
Scientific Rating NR

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium

TF-CBT for Youth who have Experienced Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation

TF-CBT for Youth who have Experienced Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation (TF-CBT for T/CSE) is an advanced training for the use of Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with youth who have experienced trafficking and/or commercial sexual exploitation and may have also experienced other traumas. This training outlines T/CSE-specific applications of TF-CBT PRACTICE components:

  • T/CSE-specific psychoeducation
  • Processing T/CSE-specific maladaptive cognitions in trauma narration
  • T/CSE-related safety concerns including risk of leaving placement [“running away”] and T/CSE revictimization
  • Strategies for addressing common T/CSE clinical challenges such as engagement and retention difficulties and significant emotional and behavioral dysregulation.

There is an emphasis on personal safety and supporting caregiver-youth relationships which are often particular concerns with T/CSE clients. TF-CBT for T/CSE can be used in an array of settings including clinics, homes, residential facilities, and in-patient units. This includes utilization with youth with absent or unavailable caregivers, those in foster care placements, and group homes, consistent with the many settings and circumstances in which youth who experience T/CSE are served.

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Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: Services for Victims
Scientific Rating 3

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

High

Forgiveness Therapy

When people forgive someone who has deeply hurt them, they let go of resentment and the urge to seek revenge, no matter how deserving of these things the wrongdoer may be. The forgiver gives the gifts of acceptance, generosity, and even love. Forgivers give these, not out of grim obligation. Rather, they are given because the forgiver has chosen to have a merciful heart. Forgiveness Therapy is designed to teach the participant how to forgive others through 4 distinct phases. It can be provided in individual or group sessions.

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Anger Management Treatment (Adult)
Scientific Rating 3

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium

Compassion-Focused Therapy for Secondary Traumatic Stress

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is an evolution-informed, biopsychosocial therapeutic approach that aims to help those who struggle with shame and self-criticism, which can result from experiences of abuse or neglect. CFT teaches clients to cultivate the skills of self-compassion and other-oriented compassion, and to build the courage and wisdom to address life’s difficulties and flourish. It utilizes psychoeducational concepts such as the three emotion regulation systems and understanding the ‘tricky brain,’ and guides participants through a range of mind-body practices. Clients and therapists collaborate on a set of therapeutic goals and tasks; formulation, assessment and therapeutic guidance are crucial.

Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) refers to the specific exercises that people practice in order to stimulate different systems in their brains, bodies, and social relationships. It is typically for nonclinical populations and may be used as a set of self-help exercises.

While the CEBC has only reviewed CFT for use with secondary traumatic stress, it can be used with non-caregiving adults, parents/caregivers, adolescents, and young adults to alleviate other symptoms.

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Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) Prevention & Intervention Programs
Scientific Rating 3

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium

Community Resiliency Model

The Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® is a set of six biologically based wellness skills used for self-care that can be practiced by participants to stabilize emotions, ideally resulting in more adaptive thinking when facing emotional and physical distress. CRM's key aim is to inform individuals about the biological responses associated with trauma, stress, and resilience and to learn skills that aid in resetting and stabilizing the nervous system. CRM's six core skills -- Tracking, Resourcing, Grounding, Gesturing, Help Now!, and Shift and Stay -- can be taught through CRM Workshops or shared informally by “CRM Teachers” and “CRM Guides'' who have received training in its strategies. People trained may be professionals or natural leaders within communities, including teachers, ministers, healthcare workers, therapists, first responders, and lay persons. The skills are adaptable across different cultural and religious contexts, enhancing CRM’s accessibility and inclusiveness.

While CRM can be used with many different target populations, this entry is focused only on its use with professionals who work in trauma-exposed organizations or situations and experience secondary traumatic stress. The CEBC Scientific Rating is based on research articles with studies evaluating only this use.

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Topic Areas

Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) Prevention & Intervention Programs
Scientific Rating 3

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium

Multisystemic Therapy – Building Stronger Families

MST-BSF is an ecologically based treatment model for families involved with child welfare services due to physical abuse and/or neglect plus parental substance misuse. MST-BSF is designed to provide all families with intensive safety planning, Reinforcement-Based Treatment for adult substance misuse, a relapse prevention group, and clarification of the abuse or neglect. On an individualized, as-needed basis, children and adults receive treatment for clinical challenges such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), parenting, and family communication. To assure model fidelity, an array of quality assurance procedures is integrated into the model. The model is operated through a team consisting of a supervisor, a family resource specialist who focuses on basic needs, and three therapists that carry a caseload maximum of 4 families. Services are provided a minimum of 3 times per week plus there are on-call services for crises available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. A psychiatrist is available 10-20% time. A close working relationship with child welfare services is important.

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Topic Areas

Substance Abuse Treatment (Adult)
Scientific Rating 2

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

High

Triple P Online

Triple P Online is one of the interventions within the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program® System, which is designed to help parents learn strategies to promote social competence and self-regulation in children as well as decrease problem behavior. There are eight (1-hour) online modules that can be completed using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Parents are guided to apply simple strategies in specific situations to encourage positive behavior and to prevent and respond assertively when problems occur. Triple P Online is interactive and provides videos, activities, and built-in motivational support including reminder emails and in-program encouragement to reinforce skill development and enhance parental engagement and completion. Parents may download their workbook, a variety of parent tipsheets, and other material for future reference.

Triple P Online was adapted from the in-person version of Triple P - Positive Parenting Program® - Level 4 Standard Triple P.

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Parent Training Programs that Address Behavior Problems in Children and Adolescents
Scientific Rating 2

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium

Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems

MATCH-ADTC is a protocol that organizes modular manualized practices for childhood anxiety, depression, trauma, and disruptive behavior problems. The program combines 33 procedures into a single, flexible system and uses expert-designed flowcharts to organize the treatment plan to fit a child’s needs while fostering individualization to address comorbidity or therapeutic roadblocks. The protocol provides clear step-by-step instructions, activities, example scripts, time-saving tips, monitoring forms, and easy-to-read explanatory handouts and worksheets for individual sessions with children and their caregivers. Caregiver handouts are available in English, German, and Spanish.

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Multiproblem Approaches (Child & Adolescent)
Scientific Rating 1

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium

KiVa Antibullying Program

KiVa Antibullying Program is a bullying prevention program for schools offering basic education. It provides feasible and ready-made tools for teachers to both prevent bullying from happening and intervene in it. The program has three core components: prevention, intervention, and monitoring. Prevention is targeted at the whole school community. Teachers implement the program by delivering a set of student lessons to target grades (1, 4, and 7). Intervention is carried out by a designated KiVa team that is trained to follow the guided procedure to tackle bullying cases. The prevalence of bullying and victimization is monitored via a yearly student and staff survey which is filled in online. The program offers online learning platforms and video resources in addition to printed materials such as parent’s guide or teacher manuals.

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Topic Areas

Mental Health Prevention and/or Early Intervention (Child & Adolescent) Programs
Scientific Rating 1

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium