Chippewa-Cree Children Participate in Nationally Significant Mental Health Project
A historic mental health partnership between the Chippewa-Cree Tribe on the Rocky Boy Reservation, the NCTSN, and The University of Montana is showing positive results with children. School counselors in Rocky Boy and Box Elder are working with members of UM’s Montana Center for the Investigation and Treatment of Childhood Trauma to help children who have experienced traumatic events in their lives and exhibit signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Initial results from the first two years of the project suggest promising gains.
The project uses the school-based mental health approach known as Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS). The Journal of the American Medical Association reported CBITS was effective in helping traumatized inner-city youth. However, it has never been used in rural communities or Indian country.
In summer 2004, the CBITS developers and University personnel shared information on pediatric symptoms and treatment of PTSD with Rocky Boy district personnel. With parental permission, teachers and counselors initially recommended that a group of middle school students be screened for PTSD symptoms.
The results indicated that 14 percent of the children had clinically significant levels of post-traumatic and depressive symptoms, including an inability to concentrate; intrusive and frightening memories; nightmares; feelings of sadness and worry; and low self-esteem.
Following the completion of the 10-week CBITS programs, three out of four children in the CBITS groups reported that they were better able to concentrate and no longer felt sad. Their test scores showed significant decreases in depression and PTSD symptoms.
Rick van den Pol, director of the Montana Center for the Investigation and Treatment of Childhood Trauma agrees that the results are promising, but said, "we need to understand better how to help the 25 percent of these kids who did not show such positive gains.” Individual counseling could make the difference because CBITS uses a group-based approach. “Or it may be that these kids would benefit from working more with traditional healers from the community,” he said.
"As a tribal member I find these early results not only convincing but very exciting,” explains Aaron Morsette, a trauma intervention specialist at the University of Montana, who recently analyzed data from the CBITS program.
Morsette and van den Pol feel that a large part of CBITS success is attributable to the cultural responsiveness of project staff. “It was our goal from the beginning to respond to the needs of the Chippewa Cree people, rather than assume we knew what was best for the community,” van den Pol said.
Through the first two years of the four-year project, the team has modified CBITS to make it more appropriate for a rural, reservation community. In addition to school teachers and counselors, the project has invited community participation in training and has worked with immediate extended families. Morsette feels that including elders in the trainings has been very important, and project members agree that tribal support has been vital.
As a result of these findings, project members have received invitations from other tribal communities and are expanding to the Blackfeet and Flathead reservations, and CBITS will continue to be implemented in the Rocky Boy schools.
Data Core Milestone
Congratulations to SCAN (Serving Children and Adolescents in Need, Inc.) for submitting regulatory documents in record time! Thank you very much for your efforts and congratulations on being the first new grantee to achieve this milestone. |
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