Last reviewed: 2023
Intended Outcomes:
The goals of Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) are:- Reduce symptoms related to trauma exposure
- Build skills and enhance resilience to stress
- Build peer and caregiver support
Continuum of Care:
Treatment
Topic Areas:
Anxiety, Behavioral Health/Mental Health, Depression, Disruptive Behaviors, Trauma
Ages:
Childhood (4-12), Teen/Adolescent (13-18)
Geographic Locations:
Rural, Urban
Delivery Settings:
School-Based
Cultural Considerations:
Significant and well-articulated attention was given to disparities in outcomes
Audience:
CBITS has been used with students in grades 5–12 who have witnessed or experienced traumatic life events, such as community and school violence, accidents and injuries, physical abuse and domestic violence, and natural and human-made disasters.
Credentials:
Licensed clinician. Certification required.
Manuals:
Yes
Is Training Required?
Yes, see developer info
Who can provide the required training?
Clinicians can receive CBITS training through several formats: live trainings (in person or virtual) and online. Although the live trainings with certified trainers are considered the gold-standard training approach, the online training is a great option when a live training is not feasible. Click here to learn more about the trainings.
Program Costs (materials, training, etc.):
Yes, refer to program website
Program/Practice Website:
https://traumaawareschools.org/index.php/learn-more-cbits/
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research:
Auslander, W., Edmond, T., Foster, A., Smith, P., McGinnis, H., Gerke, D., Tlapek, S., Threlfall, J., Voth Schrag, R., Dunn, J., & Jonson-Reid, M. (2020). Cognitive behavioral intervention for trauma in adolescent girls in child welfare: A randomized controlled trial. Children and Youth Services Review, 119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105602
Ferreira, R., & Allison, A. (2017). Implementing Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) with Latino Youth. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 34(2), 181–189. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-016-0486-9
Jaycox, L. H., Cohen, J. A., Mannarino, A. P., Walker, D. W., Langley, A. K., Gegenheimer, K. L., Scott, M., & Schonlau, M. (2010). Children’s mental health care following Hurricane Katrina: A field trial of trauma-focused psychotherapies. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 23(2), 223–231. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20518
Stein, B. D., Jaycox, L. H., Kataoka, S. H., Wong, M., Tu, W., Elliott, M. N., & Fink, A. (2003). A Mental Health Intervention for Schoolchildren Exposed to Violence: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 290(5), 603–611.
Morsette, A., Swaney, G., Stolle, D., Schuldberg, D., van den Pol, R., & Young, M. (2009). Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS): School-based treatment on a rural American Indian reservation. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 40(1), 169–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2008.07.006
Kataoka, S. H., Stein, B. D., Jaycox, L. H., Wong, M., Escudero, P., Tu, W., & Fink, A. (2003). A school-based mental health program for traumatized Latino immigrant children. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42, 311–318
Additional Sources:
WV Rating:
Supported by Research
»WV Ratings Info
Rationale for Rating:
There was more than one RCT with statistically significant outcomes, however we felt the RCTs could have been more rigorous. Studies lacked follow up, blinding, and controls.
Other Registries/Ratings
The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare:
Promising Research Evidence
Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development:
Promising
Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness:
Unclear +
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Model Programs Guide:
Effective - More than one study
Washington State Institute for Public Policy:
Not On Registry