A major shortage in the behavioral health workforce means that many area children and teenagers experiencing trauma and loss—especially in Houston’s Hispanic community—are not getting the personal attention and care they deserve. Thanks to a collaboration between the Trauma and Grief Center at the Hackett Center for Mental Health, the Lucine Center for Trauma and Grief, and the University of Houston Downtown’s (UHD) College of Public Service, that’s about to change.

On Sept. 14, 60 UHD social work majors, many of whom speak both English and Spanish, will participate in a training for Trauma and Grief Component Therapy, an evidence-based intervention for youth exposed to trauma and loss. These students will then complete 400 hours of field practicum work in social service agencies across the community (including the Lucine Center), having an immediate impact on the mental health and well-being of children ages 11 and older who have experienced the traumatic loss of a loved one.

This training is made possible by an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant received by the Trauma and Grief (TAG) Center, which aims to increase access to best practice care among youth exposed to traumas and losses.

The highly trained staff at the TAG Center will provide the educational component by training the UHD Social Work students to:

• Explain trauma and grief processes in childhood.
• Identify signs and symptoms of trauma and grief.
• Teach emotion regulation and cognitive coping skills.
• Encourage youth to set and achieve future goals.

This training is the brainchild of Dr. Julie B. Kaplow, Executive Director, Trauma and Grief Center at The Hackett Center for Mental Health. “The goal of this collaboration is to better serve Houston youth who have experienced trauma and loss, especially Hispanic youth who lost parents and caregivers to COVID-19,” said Kaplow. “A disproportionate number of Hispanic youth experienced this type of loss since Hispanic adults ages 35 to 44 accounted for a third of COVID-19 deaths. It is our hope that this collaboration will ultimately help to address the need for well-trained bilingual, trauma- and grief-informed clinicians across Harris County.”

“This training supports our Social Work students at they learn direct practice theory and skills, giving them specialized training in trauma- and grief-informed practices for children and adolescents,” said Dr. Dawn McCarty, UHD Professor and Bachelor of Social Work Program Director. “As an anchor institution for Houston and the second largest university in the region, UHD thrives through collaborations with community partners like this Trauma and Grief Component Therapy training,” continued McCarty. “Ultimately, I’m looking forward to seeing the tremendous difference our Social Work students make to these young lives.”

Learn more at https://tagcenter.org.