Center Serves Children with Mental Health Disorders

Photo courtesy Matt Taylor -- Teachers and counselors on the Rocky Boy's Reservation worked alongside University of Montana faculty to model a unique program addressing childhood traumatic stress for the Montana Center for the Investigation and Treatment of Childhood Trauma.

Center Evaluator David Schuldberg said, "We wanted to make a few modifications to the delivery of CBITS. For instance, we have found that while many kids have symptoms of PTSD and depression, they are more troubled by grief and loss issues. We need to better understand the role of bereavement and how it interacts with PTSD."

"As an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree tribe, I find the early results from CBITS very promising," Morsette said. "If left untreated, depression and PTSD can have detrimental impacts on a child's academic achievement and social life, and can lead to maladaptive behaviors such as alcohol and substance abuse."

The trauma work is an ongoing process, and project staff work continuously with school personnel from each of the reservation communities the project serves. In addition, trauma researchers nationally have expressed interest in the results, as has the federal grant sponsor.

"It is a delicate balance to responsibly celebrate the successes of participant children without intruding on the rights of sovereign nations to own the results of reservation-based evaluation studies," van den Pol said. "Our position is simple: The tribes own the data, and we need their approval to share those data with third parties."

He added, "We have found that in order to successfully make an impact in a community it is essential that we first establish relationships with the individuals and tribal agencies we work with. Establishing relationships allows us to learn about and respond to the communities' needs and provide more long-term services. If we succeed in that, there will be a great deal more work to do at the time our grant funding ends."

Collaboration for the project stems from research conducted through the DERS' Montana Safe Schools Project, which has received significant bipartisan interest and support from Montana U.S. Sens. Conrad Burns and Max Baucus. Burns has been particularly committed to ensuring that the Safe Schools Project and DERS' mental health services reach small, rural schools and reservation communities across Montana.

Since DERS received funding, project staff have worked closely with tribal councils, school administrators and community members.

"Implementing the project is an ongoing process, and we are continually looking for ways to involve families, the community and school personnel in the services we provide," Stolle said.