Provider Resource
Provider Tip Sheet: Engaging Teenage Boys in CBITS Groups
Tools & Guides
March 2026
Teenage boys engage best when clinicians focus on building trust, using casual and relatable language, and taking a collaborative, respectful approach.
The Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) model is a school-based group intervention for grades 5-12, designed to reduce PTSD and depression symptoms and improve psychosocial functioning. Teen boys can be uniquely challenging to engage in this process.
This one-page resource offers specific tips to help clinicians work with teenage boys in groups, including word and body language shifts, trust-building and collaboration techniques, and guidance for motivation and reinforcement.