Therapist Resource Guide - Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress

Working with children and families experiencing medical traumatic stress: A resource guide for mental health professionals

What do mental health professionals need to know about pediatric medical traumatic stress? How can mental health professionals improve their collaboration with medical providers around pediatric medical traumatic stress? What resources and tools are available for professionals working with children and families who have experienced pediatric medical traumatic stress? This resource guide is one source that can support mental health professionals with these questions and more.

This resource guide is designed to help psychosocial professionals who are working with children and families impacted by illness or injury, especially in their role as a consultant to or collaborator with hospital-based medical professionals. It is also intended for psychosocial providers who receive referrals from healthcare providers and health care teams. These psychosocial professionals include clinical social workers, mental health counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, and others. This guide provides: an overview of pediatric medical traumatic stress (PMTS) based on the most recent research; resources and materials to educate medical colleagues (physicians, nurses, physician assistants); and psychosocial screening, assessment, and intervention resources and materials.

We recognize that there are many ongoing stressors that children and families endure after diagnosis of an illness or an injury. The purpose of this guide is to focus specifically on medical traumatic stress and responses that children and families may have.