Targeting Trauma: Improving School Outcomes for Students in Out-of-Home Care

Abstract

The central purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of The Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS; Jaycox, 2002) program as implemented with students residing in out-of-home care (OHC) placements in an urban public high school in the Midwest United States. Utilizing single-case design methodology, CBITS was implemented. Six students (three in the treatment group and three in the waitlist control group) participated in this study, alongside their classroom teachers and parents/guardians. Three key school outcomes were assessed: traumatic stress symptomology, problematic classroom behaviors, and academic disengagement. Screening results suggested that rates of exposure to trauma and resulting Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms were common among participating students. All students screened for this study reported multiple symptoms of PTSD. Compared to the waitlist control participants, students receiving CBITS experienced reduced traumatic stress symptoms as well as decreased problematic classroom behaviors and academic disengagement. Follow-up results also suggested that students partaking in CBITS rated the program as effective and easy to understand. Implications of these findings for future research and practice are discussed, including recommendations for program delivery with similar student populations.