Using the Core Curriculum on Childhood Trauma to Strengthen Clinical Knowledge in Evidence-based Practitioners

Authors

Christopher M. Layne, UCLA/Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles.
Virginia Strand, National Center for Social Work Trauma Education and Workforce Development and Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University
Marciana Popescu, National Center for Social Work Trauma Education and Workforce Development and Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University
Julie B. Kaplow, Department of Psychiatry and Depression Center, University of Michigan
Robert Abramovitz, National Center for Social Work Trauma Education and Workforce Development and Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College
Margaret Stuber, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles
Lisa Amaya-Jackson, UCLA/Duke University Center for Child Traumatic Stress and School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center
Leslie Ross, Children's Institute, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Robert S. Pynoos, UCLA/Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles

Publication Date

1-31-2014

Journal

Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

DOI

10.1080/15374416.2013.865192

PMID

24484506

Published Open-Access

no

Keywords

adult, clinical competence, competency-based education, curriculum, evidence-based practice, health knowledge, attitudes, practice, humans, mental health services, psychiatric nursing, students

Abstract

The high prevalence of trauma exposure in mental health service-seeking populations, combined with advances in evidence-based practice, competency-based training, common-elements research, and adult learning make this an opportune time to train the mental health workforce in trauma competencies. The Core Curriculum on Childhood Trauma (CCCT) utilizes a five-tiered conceptual framework (comprising Empirical Evidence, Core Trauma Concepts, Intervention Objectives, Practice Elements, and Skills), coupled with problem-based learning, to build foundational trauma knowledge and clinical reasoning skills. We present findings from three studies: Study 1 found that social work graduate students' participation in a CCCT course (N = 1,031) was linked to significant pre-post increases in self-reported confidence in applying core trauma concepts to their clinical work. Study 2 found significant pre-post increases in self-reported conceptual readiness (N = 576) and field readiness (N = 303) among social work graduate students participating in a "Gold Standard Plus" educational model that integrated classroom instruction in core trauma concepts, training in evidence-based trauma treatment (EBTT), and implementation of that EBTT in a supervised field placement. Students ranked the core concepts course as an equivalent or greater contributor to field readiness compared to standard EBTT training. Study 3 used qualitative methods to "distill" common elements (35 intervention objectives, 59 practice elements) from 26 manualized trauma interventions. The CCCT is a promising tool for educating "next-generation" evidence-based practitioners who possess competencies needed to implement modularized, individually tailored trauma interventions by strengthening clinical knowledge, clinical reasoning, and familiarity with common elements.