Trauma-Informed Assessment with Children and Adolescents

Cassandra Kisiel, PhD, is an associate professor and clinical psychologist in the Mental Health Services and Policy Program and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She serves as the principal investigator and project director for the Center for Child Trauma Assessment, Services and Interventions, a center of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, where she is recognized as one of the leading experts in trauma screening and assessment. Dr. Kisiel has written and lectured extensively on the assessment and treatment of children exposed to complex trauma and has supported the implementation of trauma-informed practices across the country.Tracy Fehrenbach, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the Mental Health Services and Policy Program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She serves as codirector and a co-investigator for the Center for Child Trauma Assessment, Services and Interventions, a Center of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. For nearly 2 decades, Dr. Fehrenbach has engaged in research focused on improving the effectiveness of trauma-informed treatments for people impacted by interpersonal violence.  She has published and regularly lectures on the impact of child maltreatment and complex trauma and provides consultation to an array of organizations.Lisa Conradi, PsyD, is the director of clinical operations at the Chadwick Center for Children and Families at Rady Children amp rsquo s Hospital-San Diego, where she oversees all clinical programs at one of the largest trauma treatment centers in the nation. Dr. Conradi has authored and coauthored a variety of publications on trauma screening and assessment practices and creating trauma-informed systems, and has presented nationally on innovative practices designed to improve the service delivery system for children who have experienced trauma.  She is one of the developers of the second edition of the Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit.  Lindsey Weil, PhD, is a clinical psychologist. She earned her PhD at Northwestern University and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington. She also holds an MA in counseling psychology from Santa Clara University. Her current research focuses on health and well-being among youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, placement stability and permanency, strengths and protective factors, and the meaningful use of trauma assessment. Her research has been funded by the American Psychological Foundation and the Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well-Being.

• ContentsSeries ForewordAnn T. Chu and Anne P. DePrinceAcknowledgments. Introduction: Understanding the Rationale for and Benefits of Trauma-Informed Assessment2. Key Principles and Essential Organizational Process Elements of Trauma-Informed Assessment3. Implementing a Comprehensive Trauma-Informed Assessment4. Tailoring the Trauma-Informed Assessment to the Developmental and Sociocultural Context of the Child and Family5. Selecting and Integrating Trauma-Informed Assessment Tools for Children and Adolescents. Collaborative and Meaningful Applications of Trauma-Informed Assessment7. Conclusions and Future DirectionsAppendix A: Additional ResourcesAppendix B: Conducting Intakes and Assessments Using Telemental HealthReferencesIndexAbout the Authors

This wonderfully concise and thorough clinician amp rsquo s resource provides a much-needed practical guide to the nuances of trauma-informed psychological assessment that every behavioral health professional and professional-in-training should have when working with children and families. - Julian D. Ford, PhD, ABPP, Professor of Psychiatry and Law, University of Connecticut, Farmington, and Fellow of the American Psychological Association The tips and considerations in this practical guide to trauma-informed assessment will help new and well-seasoned practitioners alike prepare for the most critical part of intervention, the assessment. - Ernestine C. Briggs, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC