Description

This TF-CBT training trains professionals on the evidence-based psychotherapy approach designed to treat traumatic stress in children and adolescents. Participants learn how to administer a trauma-specific assessment, how to implement Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to special populations, and how to engage centers. Participants also learn how to engage the non-offending caregiver in the healing process.

This training is designed for clinicians who currently provide therapy services to children aged 3-18 in coordination with an Illinois Children’s Advocacy Center. This training is not designed for interns or administrative staff who assist or supervise clinicians.

There is no cost for this training.

Criteria of registration: Participants must meet the following criteria in order to attend the TF-CBT training session:

• Possess a master’s or doctorate degree (in the areas of human services/mental health)
• Currently provide therapy to children and adolescents, and caregivers
• Be endorsed by the Children’s Advocacy Center that refers clients to the mental health professional in attendance

Participants cannot be graduate interns or administrators who don’t provide direct services. However, provisionally licensed clinicians will be permitted if they are under the supervision of a licensed clinician. Participants are required to:

• Commit to attending the full three days of this training.
• Complete the TF-CBT Web 2.0 online learning course prior to the virtual training. Participants will need to provide a certificate of completion on the first day of the training. TF-CBT Web 2.0
• Participate in 1 pre-course phone call with presenter on April 18 from 9-10:30am CDT. Participants’ supervisors, and CAC director will be encouraged to participate in the phone call to have a deeper understanding of the training and follow up expectations
• Participate in 12 follow-up consultation calls, which will occur 2 times/month.
• Identify TF-CBT cases with unique clinical implementation challenges for case presentation on consultation calls.
• Administer, score, and use standardized assessments to guide delivery of TF-CBT. Recommendations for assessments will be provided. CAC’s are responsible for associated costs; however, an effort will be made to identify free or low-cost assessments.
• Ensure that all TF-CBT clients complete and receive feedback on clinical assessments at the start and end of TF-CBT treatment. (TF-CBT providers are expected to administer and score assessments unless CAC has another mechanism for doing so.)  
• Calls will not be offered after February 2026.  
• CEUS are available.
• Training is offered at no cost!

TF-CBT, developed by Dr. Esther Deblinger at the Rowan University CARES Institute in Stratford, NJ, in collaboration with Drs. Judith Cohen and Anthony Mannarino at Allegheny in Pittsburgh, PA, is an empirically supported treatment model that has been evaluated and refined over more than two decades to help children and adolescents overcome trauma related to abuse, violence and grief. To date, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) has the strongest evidence base of any treatment for trauma as it has more clinical trials to support it’s effectiveness in helping children overcome the impact of traumatic events than any other trauma treatment model available (Deblinger & Heflin, 1996; Cohen, Mannarino & Deblinger, 2016; Deblinger, Cohen, Mannarino), Runyon, & Heflin, 2016). This treatment approach has been recognized by the federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as a model program due to the extensive outcome data supporting its effectiveness. While TF-CBT was primarily developed for addressing the needs of children who have suffered sexual abuse, the model has been adapted for use with children who have suffered a variety of traumatic experiences, such as physical abuse, exposure to domestic violence, exposure to war, natural disasters, and traumatic grief. Children and adolescents (ages 3-18) who have experienced a traumatic event (i.e., child sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, natural disaster) and their non-offending caregivers. These include children who are experiencing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression, and behavior problems in response to the traumatic events as well as caregivers who experience distress related to their child’s trauma.TF-CBT can effectively address a child’s emotional and behavioral difficulties in 12-16 sessions, and the model can be used in both individual and group therapy formats. Treatment generally consists of parallel sessions with children and their non-offending caregiver(s), as well as conjoint caregiver-child sessions in the later stages of therapy. 

Trainer:

Dr. Melissa K. Runyon  provides training and consultation in the United States and abroad to mental heath therapists in two evidence-based therapies, Combined Parent-Child Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CPC-CBT) and Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) developed at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine Child Abuse Research, Education, and Services (CARES) Institute where she previously served as Treatment Services Director and Professor of Psychiatry.