The Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention

The Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI) is a brief, evidence-based trauma-focused mental health treatment for children and adolescents. Developed at the Yale Center for Traumatic Stress and Recovery, CFTSI is designed to be implemented soon after a potentially traumatic event or formal disclosure of physical or sexual abuse (such as in a forensic interview). Based on a family-strengthening approach, CFTSI focuses on improving the child and caregiver’s observation and recognition of post-traumatic reactions, enhancing communication between child and caregiver about the child’s symptoms, and providing skills to cope with and master trauma reactions. CFTSI offers the opportunity for symptom reduction and a seamless introduction to longer-term treatment and other mental health interventions when needed. Research demonstrates the effectiveness of CFTSI as a brief trauma-focused mental health treatment for the acute phase of trauma response. The challenges of the pandemic led to the development of adaptations which in turn expanded both in-person and virtual access to this brief treatment for children and families impacted by traumatic events.