Purdue University Northwest recently received a grant to help build a stronger support system for children suffering from trauma.
The university’s psychology department will partner with regional pediatric health care clinics over the next five years. Their goal is to increase mental health services for children facing traumatic stress. They hope to change the lives of the most vulnerable youth in Lake, Porter and La Porte counties.
The project is called Northwest Indiana Identification and Management of Pediatric Experiences of Trauma and Underlying Stress.
The grant was awarded by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The project was selected as part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative.
PNW will partner with Associated Pediatricians and HealthLinc. They are two of the largest pediatric clinics in the Region. Doctors are seeing an increasing number of children with physical and mental health symptoms caused by traumatic experiences.
The grant funds will be used to implement child trauma screenings. Proper screening is the first step to connecting children and their families with the right support services.
“The effects of traumatic stress on children can look similar to other behavioral health issues, like ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders, but the treatments can be quite different,” said Amanda Zelechoski, project director and psychology professor, in a press release.
The funds will also be used to hire behavioral health professionals and to train new therapists.
“Mental health care has become such a large part of the care we provide to kids, and being able to provide timely interventions and resources to families is critical,” said Dr. Elizabeth Campbell, owner of Associated Pediatricians.
The new therapists will provide in-office and group interventions at the clinics.
“The impact of bringing these mental health providers into our office space where they can work directly with our families is going to be tremendous,” Campbell said.
PNW is a public university that offers over 70 areas of study. Purdue Calumet and Purdue North Central were unified to create PNW in 2016. The university has campuses in Hammond and Westville.
