Trauma Treatment Groups for Students Training Program
Trauma Treatment Groups for Students (TTGS) is an evidence-informed group treatment protocol for students ages 8–18 who are struggling in the aftermath of trauma exposure. TTGS is a treatment modeled on trauma-focused cognitive behavioral interventions. It’s been modified to effectively provide in-school treatment to students from historically marginalized communities who have experienced chronic trauma.
Students typically engage in 10 group sessions that focus on coping skills specific to symptoms that follow exposure to traumatic events. Treatment includes two individual sessions where students focus on addressing their specific traumatic event. Lastly, TTGS provides information to caregivers about how to support students’ treatment gains and generalization of skills beyond treatment sessions.
TTGS provides schools with the opportunity to address the mental health consequences of trauma, including adverse effects on academic, social, and family functioning.
Treatment Preview
Phase 1: Psychoeducation and Relaxation
Phase 2: Group Trauma Processing
Phase 3: Facing Fear of Trauma-Related Cues
Who Our Training Program Is For
The TTGS training program is designed to train school-based mental health professionals with mental health intervention experience to deliver and implement the TTGS protocol with identified students who would benefit from the treatment.
Training Program Components
Collaboration and Implementation Planning
Our staff meets with key school district staff and administrators to lay the groundwork for successful implementation and sustainability of TTGS treatment in schools.
Information gathered from needs and readiness assessments guides implementation planning with administration and staff.
Training and Resources
School-based mental health professionals delivering TTGS to students will engage in a two-day live training covering the foundations of childhood trauma, evidence-based treatments for post-traumatic stress symptoms, and a step-by-step guide to core treatment components of TTGS.
For all educators, a 1.5-hour trauma-informed and resilience-building training is offered to provide general skills applicable to all students.
All trainees are provided access to our virtual training platform where they can find all the resources needed for successful implementation of the TTGS protocol.
Consultation
School-based mental health professionals will participate in up to 7 hours of virtual group consultation with an expert clinician, who will provide ongoing support on treatment delivery over the course of implementation.
Assessment
To ensure the highest quality of training and delivery of TTGS treatment for students, our staff collects data including information on trainees’ skill knowledge, trainees’ feedback about the training, and students’ symptoms before and after delivery of treatment.
My students developed a sense of relief when they understood that having “big feelings” is not unusual when one has experienced trauma. The coping cards have been a priceless tool in helping my them stay connected in the “here and now” and knowing that they are safe. I have also shared the strategies with parents so they can be practiced at home in fun ways.
