Clinical Work with Traumatized Young Children

Joy D. Osofsky, PhD, a clinical and developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst, is Barbara Lemann Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, where she is also Head of the Division of Pediatric Mental Health. Dr. Osofsky is Codirector of the Louisiana Rural Trauma Services Center, part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, and Director of the Harris Program for Infant Mental Health. Her research, consulting, and clinical work focus on infants, children, and families exposed to trauma as a result of disasters, community and domestic violence, maltreatment, and military deployment. Dr. Osofsky is past president of Zero to Three and of the World Association for Infant Mental Health. She is a recipient of, among other honors, the Sarah Haley Award for Clinical Excellence from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and of the Presidential Commendation from the American Psychiatric Association, for her work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"The vulnerability of young children's emotions is movingly documented on these pages, as are avenues of hope. Leading experts in the field profile the most promising approaches to promoting recovery and healing in traumatized young children. As they do so, we learn about the importance of relational support, understanding developmental needs, multigenerational influences, and the importance of social systems coming together around the needs of young children. A valuable resource for clinicians, early childhood practitioners, teachers and students, and anyone concerned with the early years."--Ross A. Thompson, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis"Children make meaning of themselves and the world using their bodies, brains, physiology, minds, and actions. This book, from passionate researchers and clinicians, makes it painfully clear how trauma distorts all of children’s meaning-making processes. The contributors recognize how trauma intrudes into children's everyday, moment-by-moment experiences--but they also demonstrate ways to help children create new, resilient meanings for themselves. The book is more than state of the art; it will be constitutive of a new understanding of trauma."--Ed Tronick, PhD, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of Massachusetts-Boston"Osofsky has engineered an accessible and valuable resource for professionals across the disciplines that collaborate to deliver the best possible outcomes for children and families impacted by isolated or continual trauma. This book provides important perspectives for any contemporary practitioner."--Constance Cohen, Juvenile Court Judge, Des Moines, Iowa"Timely and invaluable....A collection of chapters that, when read as a whole, redefine the landscape of what is needed to intervene effectively in transforming the impact of trauma and, when read individually, convey extraordinary devotion, insight, and know-how in creating the conditions to alleviate suffering and instill hope."--from the Foreword by Alicia F. Lieberman, PhD, Irving B. Harris Endowed Chair in Infant Mental Health and Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco -This edited text focuses on interventions for children under the age of five, an age group that is often lost in other contributions on victims of trauma. The book has other strengths, namely the overview of therapeutic approaches, its practice relevance and evidence-base, and the application of these approaches and research findings across different settings and circumstances....I particularly liked the empathic side of many chapters in considering the impact of interventions on different agencies and staff involved such as mental health professionals and judges. Supervisors and a range of practitioners will find the final chapter on the 'vicarious traumatisation' (or compassion fatigue) of staff extremely valuable; and so will researchers in the field.--Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 11/1/2012

• 1. Introduction: Trauma through the Eyes of a Young Child, Joy D. OsofskyI. Perspectives Related to Trauma and Its Impact on Young Children2. The Impact of Trauma on the Developing Social Brain: Development and Regulation in Relationship, Patricia Van Horn3. "They Just Don't Get It": A Diversity-Informed Approach to Understanding Engagement, Chandra Ghosh Ippen and Marva L. LewisII. Evaluation and Treatment Models for Infants and Young Children Exposed to Trauma4. Child-Parent Psychotherapy with Traumatized Young Children in Kinship Care: Adaptation of an Evidence-Based Intervention, Patricia Van Horn, Lili Gray, Beth Pettinelli, and Natalia Estassi5. Attachment-Based Treatment for Young, Vulnerable Children, Mary Dozier, Johanna Bick, and Kristin Bernard6. Relational Interventions for Young Children Who Have Been Maltreated, Sheree L. Toth, Jody Todd Manly, and Alisa Hathaway7. The Importance of Relationship-Based Evaluations for Traumatized Young Children and Their Caregivers, Amy Dickson and Mindy KronenbergIII. Young Children from Military Families Exposed to Trauma, Including the Stress of Deployment8. The Impact of Parental Combat Injury on Young Military Children, Stephen J. Cozza and Margaret M. Feerick9. Working with Young Children of the National Guard and Reserve during a Family Member's Deployment, Juliet M. Vogel, Jennifer M. Newman, and Sandra J. Kaplan10. Coming Together Around Military Families, Dorinda Williams and Lynette FragaIV. Working in Juvenile Court with Abused and Neglected Young Children of Substance-Abusing Parents 11. Treating Drug-Addicted Mothers and Their Infants: A Guide for Understanding and Clinical Practice, Stacey R. Bromberg and Karen A. Frankel12. Partnerships for Young Children in Court: How Judges Shape Collaborations Serving Traumatized Children, Gwynneth Smith, Mary O'Grady, Donna J. Hitchens, Patricia Van Horn, and Alicia F. Lieberman13. Dependency Drug Court: An Intensive Intervention for Traumatized Mothers and Young Children, Jeri B. Cohen, Gayle A. Dakof, and Eliette Duarte14. Zero to Three Family Drug Treatment Court, Douglas F. JohnsonV. Special Issues 15. Young Children and Disasters: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina about the Impact of Disasters and Postdisaster Recovery, Joy D. Osofsky 16. The Role of Pediatric Practitioners in Identifying and Responding to Traumatized Children, Betsy McAlister Groves and Marilyn Augustyn17. Vicarious Traumatization and the Need for Self-Care in Working with Traumatized Young Children, Joy D. Osofsky