By Gabriel McGaughey and Paige Bintz Executive function (EF) skills are like an air traffic control system in the brain that helps us manage information, set and work towards goals, and make decisions that help us reach those goals. EF Skills, which can be developed throughout the life-course, are central to navigating distractions, unexpected challenges, and stressful situations …
Executive function skills are like an air traffic control system in the brain that helps us manage information, make decisions, and plan ahead. Stress and the lingering impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can negatively impact executive functioning, making it difficult to effectively navigate challenging and uncertain circumstances. The Institute for Child and Family Well-Being …
Through the Trauma and Recovery Project (TARP), Learning Collaboratives of professionals throughout the state of Wisconsin have been trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and are ready to serve children and adolescents impacted by trauma and their families. TF-CBT is an evidence-based, short-term treatment model that effectively improves a range of trauma-related outcomes in …
Social innovation within our complex systems, such as child welfare, housing and mental health, demands a difficult balance between trial and error, responsiveness to those directly impacted, and actively sharing learning to build on our progress and failures. Being a learning organization serves multiple purposes: creating institutional memory, supporting just-in-time iteration, and clarifying our hypotheses …
July 30 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Stable housing provides a foundation for health, well-being, and prosperity for children, families, and communities. Stable housing can positively affect a broad spectrum of outcomes for children and families, including academic performance, employment, physical, and mental health. Threats to stable and healthy housing are complex and intertwined with systemic …
Children who have experienced maltreatment and are involved in the child welfare system often exhibit behavioral difficulties, and their parents often struggle to provide effective discipline, may unintentionally engage in coercive parenting practices, or may appear to lack sensitivity towards their children due to their own history of trauma. Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) has …
We are in unprecedented times. COVID-19 is ravaging our health and economic infrastructure, with untold losses still to come. Globally and nationally the pain of the pandemic is widespread, and it is a particularly dire situation for those among us who are most vulnerable. These include individuals and families who struggle with extreme poverty, housing insecurity, substance use, health and mental health problems, and chronic stress.
Trauma-informed care has increasingly become common nomenclature to social service providers, therapists, researchers, school staff and the general public. To become trauma-responsive, it is essential to conduct trauma screening and assessment so as not to make assumptions, miss vital information, reinforce shame through silence and avoidance, set inappropriate goals and lose rapport with clients. This …
The Institute for Child and Family Well-Being is proud to host the webinar “Trauma screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (T-SBIRT): Introduction to a promising, brief protocol for social service and healthcare settings” with Dr. Dimitri Topitzes, Clinical Director of the Institute for Child and Family Well-being, and Lisa Ortiz, UMOS, on June 17th at 11:00 …
The Institute for Child and Family Well-Being is proud to host the webinar “Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) & Child Welfare” with Dr. Emma Girard, PCIT Master Trainer, and Kate Bennett, Children’s Wisconsin Well-Being Lead Clinician, on May 20th at 1:00 CST. Children who have experienced maltreatment and are involved in the child welfare system …
Community engagement, or “the intentional process of co-creating solutions in partnership with people who know best, through their own experiences,”[1] requires the creation of authentic, collaborative relationships between context and content experts. Complex social problems such as gun violence, children’s mental health, and living through a global pandemic require solutions that are developed in collaboration with …
Dr. Changyong Choi was recently selected to participate in the Summer Research Institute through the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN) at Cornell University. Changyong is a postdoctoral fellow with the Institute for Child and Family Well-Being. His major research aims are to understand how adversities in childhood are embodied in multidimensional …
The Institute for Child and Family Well-Being is proud to host the webinar “Making the Unspeakable Speakable: Making the Case for Trauma Screening and Assessment” with Meghan Christian, ICFW Child and Family Therapist, Dimitri Topitzes, ICFW Clinical Director, and Cynthia Franzolin, Licensed Professional Counselor from Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers and Franzolin Consulting Services, LLC …
A nurturing environment promotes resilience, reduces toxic stress, supports healing and is the foundation of child, family, and community well-being. The COVID-19 crisis has presented our communities with unprecedented health and economic challenges, while also accelerating pre-existing disparities. Tools for evaluating system change efforts in an uncertainty context can be a critical tool to inform …
As Community Engagement and Systems Change are a core service area of the ICFW, collaboration with our community and systems partners is critical to fulfilling our mission. In recognition of those that value collaboration and whose mission seeks to improve child and family well-being, we have invited those partners to join us as ICFW Affiliates. …
According to the 2019 annual report by the Office of Children’s Mental Health (OCMH), Wisconsin continues to see trends such as increasing rates of diagnosed mental illness in young children and adolescents, increasing rates of untreated depression and anxiety in youth, and a significant lack of mental health providers available to the community. In our state, a common concern shared by families and clinicians alike is the accessibility of early intervention and quality mental health services.
Sustaining Advanced Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Practice Since 2012, the Wisconsin Trauma Project at the Department of Children and Families has trained clinicians throughout Wisconsin on Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). In the final year of the Wisconsin Trauma Project, efforts are being focused on sustaining and strengthening the practice of the clinicians and …
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) TF-CBT is an evidence-based, short-term treatment model that effectively improves a range of trauma-related outcomes in children/adolescents, ages 3 to 18, and caregiver. TF-CBT is highly effective at improving youth posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as well as many other trauma impacts, including affective (e.g. depressive, anxiety), cognitive and behavioral …
February 21 – February 23 The Workshop experience has been described by experts as “Trauma-Informed Care in action.” Others simply call it transformative. Learn about: Community Building skills Promoting acceptance Communication skills Developing a diverse, inclusive campus culture All UWM affiliated personnel along with Milwaukee community members are invited, and participation is free of charge. Register with …
By Dimitri Topitzes Trauma screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment, or T-SBIRT, is a brief, standardized, semi-structured protocol developed at the Institute for Child and Family Well-Being for use within health and social service settings. Adapted from the original SBIRT for substance misuse,1 T-SBIRT addresses trauma exposure and symptoms among recipients of health and social …
By Myra Werner The Institute for Child and Family Well-Being has provided evidence-based Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) to families for the last six years, with the intention of integrating the therapy into the child welfare system. We initially provided in-home PCIT services to break down access barriers for families. We also provided an adaptation …
Thursday, August 23, 12:30-3:00, UWM Alumni House 3230 E. Kenwood Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53211
June 20 at the UWM Union, 2200 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee. Join counselors, social workers, clinicians, psychologists, physicians, nurses, and related practitioners as they present trauma-informed practices.
The award recognizes Pate’s positive contributions to education and to the city of Milwaukee.
The Institute for Child and Family Well-Being (ICFW) is collaborating with Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families and Office of Children’s Mental Health on a five-year, $1.8 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that will increase access to evidence-based mental health treatments for children and families that have been exposed to trauma.
Change in Mind is a three-year initiative supporting the alignment of emerging research on chronic stress and developmental trauma with public policy and community practices.
Headed by the Sojourner Family Peace Center, this 3-year demonstration project aims to develop trauma-informed screening, service, and referral processes to address the needs of polyvictimized clients.
This 3-year project focuses on Milwaukee County’s Family Drug Treatment Court (FDTC) program, which serves parents whose substance use disorder is a safety concern that results in the removal of the children from their care.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an evidence-based …
Associate Professor Joshua Mersky was inducted into the 2017 Society for Social …
Gabriel McGaughey and Peter Power presented on measuring and …
A stable, healthy, and affordable home provides a foundation for well-being and prosperity for children, families and communities.
Grant will study Alternative Response Systems in Child Welfare.
Poor health can undermine sustainable employment, particularly among …
Dr. David J. Pate Jr. is a leading expert on low income African-American men, fatherhood, and child support. Dr. Laura A. Voith focuses on violence prevention and intervention, particularly violence against women and children, and implementation science on the delivery of violence prevention programs.
Wisconsin receives $8.65 million for home visiting.
Children’s Hospital joins Brighter Futures program.
Children’s Hospital receives Change in Mind Grant.