ASCF’s Trauma Assessment & Specialty Screening Clinic
All Star Children’s Foundation’s (ASCF) Trauma Assessment and Specialty Screening Clinic is our response to assisting the Safe Children Coalition (SCC) in meeting Florida Senate Bill 1064 mandates for children and families in Circuit 12 (Sarasota, Desoto, and Manatee counties). ASCF has partnered with the SCC to implement best practices in trauma assessment and specialty screening that are evidence-based, trauma-informed, and multidisciplinary. ASCF’s Specialty Screening and Assessment Clinic serves youth placed in out-of-home care who have a documented or suspected trauma history and/or exhibit social, emotional, behavioral, or developmental issues that may be related to trauma and stress.
ASCF’s trauma assessment and specialty screening clinic supports youth, their caregivers, and systems in accomplishing the following goals:
- Understanding how trauma is impacting the youth across multiple areas of functioning
- Creating clear, actionable steps to address youth needs and strengthen competencies
- Accessing effective, trauma-focused services and supports
- Monitoring the youth’s response to interventions over time
Due to the varied and complex needs of children and youth with child welfare involvement, all children and youth referred to ASCF’s trauma assessment and specialty screening clinic receive:
- Trauma Assessment, which evaluates a youth’s trauma experiences AND related symptoms
- Mental Health Screening, which briefly assesses common mental health issues in children, such as anxiety, depression, conduct-related issues, and substance abuse (in youth ages 12+)
- Developmental Screening, which estimates cognitive, academic, and language functioning.
For more information regarding the Trauma Assessment and Specialty Screening Clinic, contact ASCF’s Clinical Director, Chelsea Hernandez at ChelseaH@allstarchildren.org.
FAQs for Caregivers and Case Managers
As of July 1, 2023 it is now required by Florida Statute (SB-1064) that every child entering out-of-home care receives a trauma screening within 21 days of the shelter hearing. If a child/youth meets certain criteria on the screening, he/she is then required to receive a more comprehensive trauma assessment. ASCF operates a Specialty Screening and Assessment Clinic that provides trauma assessment for children ages 6 years and older within Circuit 12 (which includes Manatee, Sarasota, and Desoto Counties).
Studies indicate that over 90% of children entering out-of-home care have experienced trauma. Trauma screening and assessment for children with child welfare involvement is a recognized best practice for understanding if and how a child’s prior trauma history impacts his or her current functioning today. Results from a trauma assessment can guide diagnostic decisions, as well as treatment and service recommendations.
ASCF’s specialty screening and assessment clinic supports youth, their caregivers, and systems in accomplishing the following goals:
- monitoring the youth’s response to interventions over time
- understanding how trauma is impacting the youth across multiple areas of functioning
- creating clear, actionable steps to address youth needs and strengthen competencies
- accessing effective, trauma-focused services and supports
Appointments to this clinic take about 3-4 hours and include trauma assessment, mental health screening, developmental screening, and same-day feedback from a multidisciplinary team of providers.
The exact components of a child’s appointment may vary depending on a child’s age and developmental level, but generally include the following:
- Introduction and rapport building with an ASCF clinician and case manager
- Explanation of assessment goals and procedures, as well as how assessment results will be used
- Trauma Assessment, which assesses a child’s trauma exposure (what has happened to the child) and how a potentially traumatic past has impacted the child’s emotional, social, and behavioral functioning. This includes caregiver and child interviews, along with child self-report (if appropriate) and caregiver report on standardized measures of child/youth emotional and behavioral functioning. Children functioning at 7 years of age and above will be asked to self-report trauma history and symptoms. Trauma assessment for children functioning younger than 7 relies heavily on caregiver report.
- Mental Health Screening, which briefly assesses common mental health issues in children, such as anxiety, depression, conduct-related issues, and substance abuse (in youth ages 12+)
- Developmental Screening, which estimates cognitive, academic, and language functioning
- Same-day feedback provided to the child, caregiver, and case manager by ASCF’s team of multidisciplinary providers about how trauma may be impacting the child’s current functioning, along with recommendations for services and supports.
Providers conducting assessments through All Star’s Specialty Screening and Assessment Clinic are Florida licensed mental health clinicians and licensed psychologists. Registered mental health interns and psychology trainees may also provide this service and are closely trained and supervised by licensed staff.
Children who have experienced change and adversity in their lives often benefit from preparation for appointments and meetings. It is important to communicate what the child will be doing and why in a developmentally appropriate way that your child can understand. Below is an example of one way to prepare your child for his/her trauma screening appointment.
“On [day/time], we will be going to All Star Children’s Foundation for an appointment. We will be there from [time] to [time]. All Star is a place that helps children who have been through changes in their family. You will be meeting with a mental health clinician who will ask you questions to learn about you, what you do well, and what you may need some help with as you adjust to this new living situation. This type of appointment is called an assessment and it is not therapy or a medical doctor’s appointment. Most of what you will be doing is talking and filling out forms about yourself. The people at All Star want to make sure you have all you need to be healthy and happy so it is important to be as honest as possible and tell them what you think you need.”
Feel free to bring whatever you may need during the appointment to occupy yourself. Depending on the time of your appointment and age of the child, you may want to bring a drink and snacks. It is sometimes cold in the building, so bringing a sweater or jacket is also recommended. WiFi is available in the building.
Yes. All Star requires that a parent or legal guardian is present at our facility for the duration of a child’s appointment. This is likely a challenging time for your child and the presence of someone familiar may help him/her feel more safe and secure in our setting. Depending on the nature of the child’s removal and current functioning, we may also need you to provide additional information through interview or standardized reporting forms.
The same day. ASCF assessors will meet with you and other important adults as a team to review initial findings and recommendations. They also will provide you with a written feedback form outlining preliminary results and important recommendations/follow-up steps. A more detailed written report that includes background information, screening/assessment results, diagnostic considerations, and recommendations is typically completed within 2 weeks of the child’s appointment.
Following your child’s appointment, All Star will send a written report with findings and recommendations to the Safe Children Coalition (SCC). To obtain a copy, please contact your child’s child welfare case manager.
All Star Children’s Foundation is a foster care campus and outpatient services center that provides assessment and therapeutic intervention services to children and families in the community with child welfare involvement. All Star also offers a variety of trauma training programs to foster parents and various community members/organizations.
For any questions regarding screening and assessment at All Star, please contact Chelsea Hernandez, LCSW, at chelseah@allstarchildren.org or via phone at 941-217-6503.
