BRINGING EVIDENCE-BASED ASSESSMENTS OF TRAUMA- AND ABUSE-RELATED SYMPTOMS TO CATEGORY III SITES, CACS, AND UNIVERSITIES (EBAT)

Principal Investigator: Dr. Sara L. Dolan

Co-Investigator: Dr. Stacy R. Ryan-Pettes

Co-Investigators: Dr. Jeffery N. Wherry

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Grant Title: Bringing Evidence-Based Assessments of Trauma- and Abuse-Related Symptoms to Category III Sites, CACs, and Universities (EBAT).

EBAT provides training using a learning collaborative model to clinicians and graduate students nationwide. Over the course of 5 years, the project will train 1095 clinicians in Evidence-Based Assessment (EBA) and will serve a diverse demographic of abused and traumatized children in Child Abuse/Child Protective Services and Child Welfare Settings. A web-based approach combining a Moodle-based learning platform and videoconferencing allows clinicians to participate in 3 three-hour didactic training sessions followed by 10 sessions of individual and group consultation with an EBA trainer.  The training program focuses on developing clinicians’ competencies in EBAs using reliable, valid, and normed measures. This corresponds with research that good evidence-based treatment requires a good assessment, but while use of evidence-based treatments for child trauma is common, evidence-based assessments are not widely utilized, despite their scientifically proven efficacy. The goal of this study is to provide an alternative and innovative approach to training, to apply proven methodologies for increasing successful implementation, and to adopt evidence-based assessment practices.