CTA Education and Training

At the heart of the ChildTrauma Academy (CTA) is the desire to increase awareness and capacity through education and training. We strive to communicate key facts, concepts and principles important to healthy child development across disciplines and to caregivers and families. Training and educational activities form the core of these communication efforts.

Training Approach

CTA professional staff participates in a variety of the training and teaching activities. This may range from the Academy-sponsored multidisciplinary training activities within the public systems to a multiple-day continuing education programs.

Specialized training services have been developed to target children, parents, caregivers, foster parents, educators, case workers, mental and medical health workers, judges and attorneys, law enforcement and legislators, among others. The topics include children and violence, recent advances in brain development, post-traumatic stress disorder, secondary trauma in educators and case-workers, interviewing children, understanding the child protective and juvenile justice system, using technology in the child welfare systems, exposure to violence and learning. A full list of training and educational activities is available from CTA.

Training Credentials

Since 1993, CTA staff has given over 1000 presentations at local interdisciplinary settings, national and international presentations and training sessions, directly reaching over 75,000 professionals. These include presentations at: The White House Conference on Early Childhood Development, the 1997 National Governor's Conference, the Keynote Address of the 1997 Convention for the National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse, the Chicago Brain Conference, the 1997 Presidential Summit, and in testimony before the US Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the importance of public policy supporting early childhood development.

CTA also has extensive experience with distance learning and clinical consultation. In 1993, in response to thousands of requests for written materials (i.e., copies of papers, brochures, manuals, procedures), The ChildTrauma Programs was among the first in its field to harness the power of the Internet in order to meet the educational needs of professionals and lay people alike (www.ChildTrauma.org). The site contains many of the papers, abstracts and chapters written by members of the ChildTrauma group as well as other educational materials, including video and audio clips, about development, abuse and neglect of children targeted for various audiences. Content on ChildTrauma.org continues to grow today with new research articles and educational materials posted regularly. The site has received widespread acclaim from caregivers, clinicians, teachers and other professionals. The instant access to understandable information about child development, brain development, abuse and neglect of children assists individuals all over the world as they serve children. Presently, the CTA website gets thousands of people visiting each week.

In 1999, CTA expanded its Internet presence by launching a free Online University. Again, the first of its kind in the field, participants can work through the self paced courses on child maltreatment and brain development and communicate with fellow "classmates" about the material and assignments. Participants come from all fields, perspectives and locals - both within the US and well beyond.

Visit our Online Product Store to view and purchase some of our training products.