Yale Center for Traumatic Stress and Recovery (YCTSR)

The YCTSR has developed an evidence-based, brief mental health treatment called the Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI). This intervention was designed to be implemented in the peritraumatic period, in the days and weeks following exposure to a potentially traumatic event or formal disclosure of physical or sexual abuse.

CFTSI is currently the only evidence-based acute intervention of its kind for children 7-18, young children ages 3-6 and children in foster care, who have experienced potentially traumatic events. Our team is currently focused on training and disseminating this model of treatment to child mental health agencies and child advocacy centers across the country. Our work utilizes standardized assessments as an integral part of the clinical intervention, as a structured and ordered approach to re-establishing psychological safety following overwhelming events.

Through our current Open Trial project, we hope to gather information and feedback about the effectiveness of this treatment in a variety of settings and populations.

The YCTSR is co-led by Dr. Steven Marans, Harris Professor of Child Psychoanalysis and Professor of Psychiatry and Ms. Carrie Epstein, Assistant Clinical Professor in Social Work.

• All agencies who have received training in the model may join the CFTSI Open Trial
• No exclusion criteria for participation in the Open Trial
• All caregiver-child participants screened for CFTSI will be included in the CFTSI Sustainability System

Early mental health treatment for children following a potentially traumatic event or disclosure of physical/sexual abuse

Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention Open Trial