The Child Trauma Response Team (CTRT) is an innovative program designed to provide a swift and coordinated response to families after serious incidents of domestic violence. CTRT focuses on reducing the harmful impact of traumatic events on children and their involved caregivers.
Through a dedicated partnership between Safe Horizon, the NYPD, and District Attorney’s Offices, CTRT works closely with twelve select police precincts throughout Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. In these precincts, Safe Horizon’s child trauma responders and domestic violence victim advocates work hand-in-hand with Domestic Violence Police Officers to provide timely, expert outreach, and support to children and caregivers impacted by domestic violence.
CTRT also works closely with Safe Horizon’s Helpline, Community Programs, and Shelters programs which refer families who have experienced violence – regardless if the incidents were reported to the NYPD.
How CTRT Helps Children and Their Caregivers Overcome Trauma
CTRT staff provide brief, trauma-informed mental health support with an anti-racist lens for caregivers and their children; conducting trauma screenings to better understand the symptoms children and their caregivers are experiencing and linking them to ongoing mental health support where needed. Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI) is also provided when appropriate. Developed by the Yale University Child Study Center, CFTSI is a 5-8 session trauma-informed intervention that engages children and their caregivers. It has been proven to significantly reduce children’s suffering and traumatic symptoms.
CTRT services are accessible over the phone, video conferencing, and/or in-person.
