Secondary Traumatic Stress Innovation and Solution Center (STS-ISC)

The Secondary Traumatic Stress Innovation and Solution Center (STS-ISC) will provide workforce development and protection assistance to NCTSN centers, and other child-serving agencies that serve children with traumatic stress conditions throughout the country. This will be accomplished via the following activities: 1) Implementing workforce development and protection initiatives to create secondary traumatic stress informed organizations by developing an organizational change package; 2) Increasing supervisors’ abilities to serve as secondary traumatic stress change agents and boundary spanners between management and the front-line workforce; 3) Providing professionals with the knowledge and practice skills needed to manage indirect trauma exposures using evidence-informed tools and interventions.; and 4) Providing resource parents with the practice skills needed to manage indirect trauma exposures using evidence-informed tools and interventions. This is accomplished by leveraging the infrastructure of a successful SAMHSA Category III center, at the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children, Child and Adolescent Trauma Treatment and Training Institute, as well as expertise by current and former chairs of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Collaborative group, as well as researchers and policy makers recognized as leaders in the field of secondary traumatic stress and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). An advisory board made up of current and former Category II and III sites within the NCTSN guide the activities of this culturally sensitive, Treatment and Service Adaptation Center which will support the activities of other network centers, and those outside the NCTSN, with a special emphasis on sites serving unaccompanied minors, and children separated at the border.