Predoctoral Internship and Postdoctoral Fellowship In Psychology

Trauma and Children

The Child Development-Community Policing Program (CD-CP) & The National Center for Children Exposed to Violence (NCCEV)

Interns matched for the Trauma and Children area of specialization spend a portion of their internship and postdoctoral time involved in the clinical and/or research activities of that section. In 1991, the Yale Child Study Center and the New Haven Department of Police Service (NHPD) began discussions to address the needs of children and families exposed to violence. The CD-CP program, established under the direction of Steven Marans, Ph.D. and leaders from the NHPD, resulted from these discussions and represents a unique collaboration between law enforcement, juvenile justice, and mental health professionals on behalf of children and families exposed to violence in their communities. The partnership between the Yale Child Study Center, the New Haven Department of Police Services, the Department of Children and Families, and the New Haven County Office of Juvenile Probation provides opportunities to understand the relationship between violence, trauma, and the perpetration of violent actions, as well as to develop more effective ways for intervening in the lives of traumatized children and families. This work has been supported and developed in partnership with the United States Department of Justice and resulted in the establishment of the National Center for Children Exposed to Violence (NCCEV) at the Child Study Center. Core elements of the CD-CP Program include seminars for clinicians on community policing and law enforcement strategies, seminars for police officers on basic theories of child development, a weekly multidisciplinary case conference, and a 24-hour Consultation Service staffed by a team of clinicians who respond immediately to children and families exposed to violence and to requests from officers for consultation.

The psychology specialty area in Childhood Trauma provides strong, multi-faceted training through the National Center for Children Exposed to Violence and Child Development Community Policing Program in clinical intervention and research related to childhood violence exposure, trauma, and community service delivery. During the predoctoral year, the trauma intern participates in acute interventions for children and families exposed to violence. This includes training in the CD-CP Acute Trauma Response Protocol and participation in the on-call pager service for the New Haven Department of Police Services.

Predoctoral interns provide assessment, treatment and case management for children exposed to violence. Treatment primarily focuses on symptoms of acute stress disorder and PTSD. Interns also participate in a weekly multidisciplinary team meeting with police officers, the Department of Children and Families, school personnel and probation officers.

The post-doctoral fellow continues to provide therapeutic services to children exposed to trauma and provide emergency consultations to local law enforcement agencies. Additionally, the post-doctoral fellow joins the NCCEV research team and participates in one or more of the following major research initiatives: (1) evaluation of police-mental health service delivery systems, (2) evaluation of a community domestic violence initiative, or (3) longitudinal assessment of children’s posttraumatic stress symptoms. Research supervision will occur within the context of the NCCEV research team directed by Carla Stover, Ph.D. and will be supplemented by individual supervision by project leaders from the specific study on which the fellow is working. The fellow will be encouraged to take an active role within the team and provide additional leadership within their selected area of research. Key aspects of training may involve the design and implementation of community oriented research related to child trauma and violence exposure, grant and manuscript preparation, and academic career preparation. For additional information related to the Trauma and Children Program, please see http://www.nccev.org.