Improving Service Delivery for Children Affected by Trauma: An Implementation Study of Children's Institute, Inc.

Children's Institute, Inc. (CII) is a multi-service organization in Los Angeles, CA that combines clinical mental health and other supportive services to meet the needs of children and their families who have been affected by trauma, such as abuse, domestic violence or violence in the community. The model combines clinical services, parent & guardian programs, and nonclinical youth development activities, including early childhood education.

This implementation study had two main components: an implementation study of CII's service model and an in-depth fidelity study of its delivery of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). The evaluation found that:

• CII engages clients in multiple services; a majority of clients receiving clinical services also participated in another service at the organization.
• Approximately a third of the children engaged in clinical services received an evidence-based practice.
• The dosage levels of Functional Family therapy and TF-CBTwere consistent with model organizations.
• The in-depth fidelity study of TF-CBT found that the average client had at least a 50 percent chance of receiving half of the model's core components.