The Center on Trauma and Children (CTAC) is dedicated to the enhancement of the health and well-being of children and their families through research, service and dissemination of information about child abuse and trauma.

 

CTAC develops, tests and utilizes empirically supported technologies to understand and treat children and families impacted by violence, disasters, and other traumatic events. Evidence-based, trauma-informed services are provided to children ages 0-17 and their families in our interdisciplinary assessment and treatment clinics.

 

It takes decades for advances in scientific research to impact community policies and practices. CTAC is dedicated to moving scientific discoveries in the area of child traumatic stress into community practice and systems of care. Because real world observations can be critical for scientific inquiry, community engagement and collaboration is a priority.

 

CTAC provides training in trauma-informed, evidence-based practices to treat child traumatic stress to qualified providers using the latest dissemination technologies. Specialized consultation services on child maltreatment, disaster mental health, therapeutic jurisprudence and early childhood mental health are provided as part of CTAC.

"It is the strong conviction of this committee that the nation has not capitalized sufficiently on the knowledge that has been gained from nearly half a century of considerable public investment in research on children…. In many cases we have barely begun to use our growing research capabilities to help children and families negotiate the changing demands and possibilities of life in the 21st century."

 

--From Neurons to Neighborhoods National Research Council Institute of Medicine

 

 

A Promise …To Protect Our Children

Over 3 million children are impacted by traumatic events each year. Research shows that multiple factors increase the likelihood of trauma exposure, including poverty, stress, depression, natural disasters and substance abuse. Each child, whether they experience neglect, injury or violence, is profoundly altered as a result. No child deserves this.

A Promise …To Provide Solutions and Put Them into Practice

At CTAC we don’t just conduct scientific research—we promote Evidence in Action. Our passionate and committed team members, pediatricians, child psychiatrists, social workers and psychologists are making a difference through research and clinical programming that results in demonstrably effective outcomes. As part of the University of Kentucky, a national leader in research and clinical practice, the center uses an interdisciplinary approach to create a dialogue between researchers and clinicians. This exciting approach—translational research—is building a bridge between scientific research and the real world.

Resources about talking to children and parents about the recent shooting