Helping children through schools
Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) is a school-based group intervention (for grades 5-12) that has been shown to reduce PTSD and depression symptoms and psychosocial dysfunction in children who have experienced trauma. Bounce Back is an adaptation of the CBITS model for elementary school students (grades K-5).
Schools are a critical setting for delivering behavioral health services
In fact, the majority of children with emotional or behavioral health needs do not receive services. But among those who do, approximately 70% receive services through their schools. The links between trauma exposure, physical health, behavioral health and academic functioning underscore the importance of integrating trauma-informed care within educational settings:
- Children exposed to violence, for example, exhibit lower reading achievement, higher rates of school absence, lower grade point averages, lower graduation rates and are suspended from school more than twice as often as other students.
- Youth with histories of trauma can have difficulties regulating emotions and behavior and can be impulsive or disruptive in school settings when experiencing reminders of past trauma.

How to participate
The Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) plans to continue expanding CBITS and Bounce Back with the goal of eventually attaining statewide coverage. CT-based providers, schools, school-based health centers, or others interested in offering CBITS or Bounce Back can learn more in the CBITS application & welcome packet:
Trauma ScreenTIME Schools Course
A free online training for school staff
and administrators interested in
implementing trauma screening.
About the CBITS model
The model was developed by a team of clinician-researchers from the RAND Corporation, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).