Date Presented 04/05/2025
This poster session describes an impact study of the perceived outcomes of foster parents on the trauma assessment process at the Southwest Michigan Children’s Trauma Assessment Center and its implications for other trauma assessment centers.
Primary Author and Speaker: Amber Foster
Additional Authors and Speakers: Amanda Murray, Tatum Johnson, Kathryn Sicklesteel, Richard Townsend
Contributing Authors: Ben Atchison
PURPOSE: Occupational therapy (OT) has continued to be a validated part of interprofessional trauma-informed assessment and treatment teams. This study reports findings from the Children’s Trauma Assessment Center (CTAC) in Michigan, detailing caregiver perceptions of the comprehensive assessment conducted for their child and the outcomes of post-assessment recommendations. Results discuss the quality of the CTAC assessment and generate information for OTs to consider when making trauma-informed recommendations.
QUESTION: What are the perceptions of caregivers on the impact of the CTAC assessment?
DESIGN: A qualitative design was used for this study. Participants included caseworkers and adoptive, foster, and biological parents of children who received a CTAC assessment within 5 years and had at least 6 months pass since the assessment to allow time to seek recommended services. Participants were selected from a CTAC tracking document and recruited by phone, mail, and email.
METHOD: Structured interviews were conducted on 24 caregivers by CTAC staff to determine perceived outcomes of the CTAC assessment. Qualitative analysis of interviews was conducted using inductive and deductive procedures, yielding a set of themes describing perceptions of the CTAC assessment.
RESULTS: With 20 viable interviews for analysis, 6 themes summarize caregiver perceptions of the CTAC assessment and outcomes: positive assessment experiences, enhanced advocacy for the child, facilitation of court decisions, insight into the trauma lens, validation of caregiver perceptions, and barriers to seeking recommendations.
CONCLUSION: Results indicate that the CTAC assessment allowed caregivers to better understand the impact of trauma on their child and provided useful recommendations to pursue. Findings highlight a critical need for ongoing refinement of trauma assessments to ensure OTs, as a key part of trauma-informed teams, can best support the unique needs of this population.
References
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Merrick, M., Ford, D., Ports, K, and Guinn, A. (2018). Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences from the 2011-2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 23 States. JAMA Pediatrics, Nov, 172 (11): 1038–1044. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.2537
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