California Mental Health Planning Council Trauma-Informed Mental Health Care in California: A Snapshot
The California Mental Health Planning Council (CMHPC) is mandated by federal law (Public Law 106-310) and state statute (Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) 5772) to advocate for children with serious emotional disturbances and adults and older adults with serious mental illness; to review and report on the public mental health system; and to advise the Administration and the Legislature on priority issues and participate in statewide planning. One of the priority issues that the CMHPC has been investigating is trauma-informed mental health care. The CMHPC has received briefings from statewide experts at its 2014 quarterly meetings in San Diego and in Oakland on programs to address the effects of early trauma on both children and adults. This report describes some leading programs that are being implemented in California, within the context of recent trauma-focused research and national recommendations for best practices in trauma-informed mental health care.
Connecticut Department Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS)
The primary goal of the Trauma Initiative is to deliver behavioral health care that is sensitive and responsive to the needs of men and women who have experienced trauma. Training and professional development with clinicians and clinical case managers in the DMHAS system of care is preparing them to provide screening, education, and treatment groups. Trauma services are being developed based on the guiding principle that treatment must be informed by a sound scientific, clinical, culturally relevant, and humanistic understanding of the impact and impairment caused by traumatic stress. Link to Resources: Overview of Trauma Initiative, DMHAS Position Paper for Trauma Sensitive Services, Trauma Newsletters, Video Training Links.
Maine Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services
The Maine DMHMRSAS Office of Trauma Services (OTS) was created in 1995 to address the needs of recipients of public mental health and substance abuse services with histories of trauma. It expanded in 1998 to increase capacity for statewide training and education, to continue survivor/consumer involvement, to establish community support and advocacy, to initiate additional services, and to develop a program of self-care for providers who work with trauma survivors. A Plan for Improving Behavioral Health Services for Persons with Histories of Trauma (2001)
Massachusetts Department Mental Health: The Safety Tool for Kids
A document of pictures and words to help a child recognize triggers or situations that create fear, sadness, anger, etc. The triggers tool is divided into sensory categories to help staff and children identify circumstances that create upset more easily make the “cause and effect” connection between triggers, their reaction to triggers and how the situation physically effects their body and to help the child identify sensory-based calming (coping) tools.
Missouri Department Mental Health
Position Statement on Services and Supports for Trauma Survivors, Trauma Fact Sheet, Child and Adult Treatment Models, Department of Mental Health Trauma Initiative Competency Components. A Missouri Model
Ohio Department Mental Health Trauma Informed Care
The Ohio Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) and Developmental Disabilities (DODD) collaborate on a statewide Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) Initiative intended to promote a greater sense of safety, security and equality among consumers/clients. TIC is an approach that explicitly acknowledges the role trauma plays in people’s lives. TIC means that every part of an organization or program understands the impact of trauma on the individuals they serve and adopts a culture that considers and addresses this impact. Working through six Regional Collaboratives, the initiative will expand opportunities for Ohioans to receive trauma-informed interventions by enhancing efforts for practitioners, facilities and agencies to become competent in trauma-informed practices.
Pennsylvania Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
The goal of this paper is to build on comprehensive efforts by the National Technical Assistance Center for Mental Health Planning (NTAC), the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) and others, to increase appreciation of the relevance of trauma in understanding children and in planning to meet their needs.
South Carolina’s Department of Mental Health
In December 1998 the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) released a Position Statement emphasizing their organization’s concern about public mental health service delivery to survivors of trauma.