The Child Trauma Screen (CTS) is a brief screening tool used by professionals across a range of child-serving systems (e.g., child welfare, juvenile justice). Through parallel child and parent/caregiver forms, the CTS is used to identify youth who need further mental health assessment based on responses to CTS item endorsement of lifetime traumatic event exposure and active trauma reactions over the past 30 days. Studies have shown the CTS is a reliable and valid tool that accurately identifies youth who are experiencing active trauma reactions.

Our CTS training supports juvenile justice staff to understand:

• how trauma impacts adolescents emotional and behavioral functioning;

• how to introduce, administer, score, and provide feedback based on the CTS screening results; and

• how to integrate CTS screening results into broader assessments/case planning. 

We use multiple training exercises where juvenile justice staff can practice CTS administration, scoring, and triage decisions. NYSAP’s CTS training ensures that trainees can competently and confidently utilize the CTS in their behavioral (mental) health screening process across a range of juvenile justice settings.