The Institute of Childhood Trauma and Attachment at the George Hull Centre and the Community Clinic have advanced trauma-responsive care within public-sector mental health services through innovative models such as SMART (Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment), neurofeedback, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This session highlights lessons learned from piloting these interventions and strengthening organizational capacity. Key areas include implementing and evaluating trauma-responsive models across diverse clinical settings, integrating trauma-informed care throughout service streams, and fostering workforce development via a five-year training plan and senior social work leadership. Additionally, we address treating parent trauma to reduce barriers to care and enhance parenting capacity. The session will also explore adapting models for cultural relevance and equity through collaborative processes involving project teams, a specialized committee, and clinical leadership. Our goal is to elevate practice and embed culturally responsive care for children, youth, and families.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the implementation and evaluation process for trauma-responsive interventions—SMART, neurofeedback, DDP, and EMDR—within diverse public-sector mental health settings.

2. Identify strategies for integrating trauma-informed care across service streams and building organizational capacity through workforce development, including training plans and leadership engagement. 

3. Apply principles of cultural adaptation and equity to modify trauma-responsive models, ensuring relevance for diverse populations and addressing barriers such as parent trauma to improve access and parenting capacity.