The Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College-CUNY has established the National Child Trauma Workforce Institute (NCTWI), whose mission focuses on preparing new and experienced clinicians for trauma-informed work with children and families. The institute expands the Silberman School of Social Work’s capacity to address a pervasive major public health problem- the often-unrecognized impact of violence and trauma exposure in childhood. It will accomplish this by providing enhanced trauma-informed consultation, program development, staff development and an accredited post-master’s trauma training curriculum.
The Institute’s Founding Director Dr. Robert Abramovitz is a nationally recognized leader in the study of trauma’s impact on children, families and communities.
The new Institute draws on an extensive successful seven-year track record of training social work students and community agencies for evidence-based child trauma assessment and treatment. Support for the NCTWI comes from a new five-year, $3 million grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). It will enable the Center to build upon its experience preparing “the next generation of trauma-informed practitioners”. As a continuing member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), the Institute will work to expand child trauma workforce development for clinicians and trainees in four key mental health disciplines. NCTSN membership also gives the institute access to other leading child trauma experts and to sophisticated resources for policy makers, parents, teachers and pediatricians.
Locally, the institute will continue educating Silberman School of Social Work students and graduates to become part of New York City’s trauma-informed workforce. In addition to its master’s-level child trauma sub-specialization work, it intends to expand postgraduate trauma-training opportunities for New York City’s mental health agencies and for professionals at local social services agencies.