A trauma-informed intervention at the University of Florida is proposed as a solution to the public health issue of adverse childhood experiences in college students, which can lead to more negative health outcomes. This public health intervention will be implemented as a pilot test of a telehealth based app, called the Trauma Care app (TCare app), that will screen all incoming students for adverse childhood experiences and provide targeted resources, as well as telehealth based counseling, for individuals who have at least one adverse childhood experience. This intervention will be developed and administered by a multidisciplinary team that, app designers, counseling psychologists, students from the target population and public health program planners who are familiar with trauma-informed approaches. The TCare app utilizes a secondary prevention approach and is intended to target the individual, interpersonal and organizational levels of the CDC social ecological model.
Public Health Framework
This program uses a public health framework to address different levels of trauma in college students. The program overall works at the secondary level of prevention by screening for ACEs and providing resources to reduce the impact of ACEs in college students (CDC, 2019). The program also goes as far as addressing the tertiary level of prevention by also providing access to a counselor if needed by the student (CDC, 2019). Since students will be screened through the app depending on their score they will receive informational resources about trauma, resources for mindfulness and meditation, group counseling or individual counseling with a licensed therapist.
Social Ecological Model
There are three levels of the Social Ecological Model addressed by the TCare app. This program addresses the individual level because through the TCare app students will be provided with information targeted to their specific trauma care needs (CDC, 2020). Targeted information enhances the students’ awareness and attitudes around the impact of ACEs. Additionally, accessibility of mindfulness, meditation and other mental health coping strategies enable students to gain the skills to cope with trauma they have experienced and to prevent trauma from possibly occurring again. Another level of the Social Ecological Model that the TCare app will address is the relationship level by creating and fostering relationships between students who have experienced similar levels of trauma through group counseling facilitated through the app (CDC, 2020). Group chats within the app will also foster support for students from their peer group. Also, information will be provided on how to build and maintain relationships with friends and family while overcoming trauma. The last level of the Social Ecological Model addressed is the TCare app is the community level. Through the TCare app accessibility to healthcare that promotes mental health will be enhanced, thus allowing more students to receive trauma informed care (CDC, 2020).
Trauma-Informed Principles
The Trauma-Informed Principle of Safety is utilized in this program because through privacy settings in the TCare app the student user has full control of how much information they are sharing in the app (SAMHSA, 2018). Also, since all resources are provided virtually the student user the stigma around receiving mental health services is avoided. Trustworthiness and transparency will be promoted within the program by making sure that all information shared in the app by students remains confidential and is not shared outside of the app (SAMHSA, 2018). The app itself will have features that prevent screenshots of information or conversations to be made. Additionally, Peer Support will be promoted through the group therapy sessions and through the group chat feature (SAMHSA, 2018). Collaboration and Mutuality will be promoted in this program through the utilization of anonymous feedback forms that student users can provide feedback on any part of the app including the group and individual therapy sessions (SAMHSA, 2018). The program planners will review the feedback and make changes accordingly. To promote Empowerment, Voice and Choice, therapists facilitating group and individual sessions will promote each students ability to take action in their healing process and developing a plan of action that works for that students life style and comfort level (SAMHSA, 2018). Lastly, to prevent Culture, Historical and Gender Issues the student liaisons will be utilized during the creation and implementation of the app to make sure that the app content is culturally sensitive (SAMHSA, 2018). Additionally, during the training of the mental health counselors, there will be a heavy emphasis of on providing culturally sensitive mental health care that does not re-traumatize students.
References:
CDC-The Levels of Prevention. (2019). Retrieved from https://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/levels-prevention
SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. (2018, July). Retrieved from https://ufl.instructure.com/co...8800/download?wrap=1
The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention |Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC. (2020, January 28). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violencepr...ecologicalmodel.html
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