In-Congress Workshop 27 - Respond with CARE™ (Child-Adult Relationship Enhancement) After Disasters: The Agents of Change in Reducing Risk and Promoting Resilience in Youth

As has been clear with the recent weather-related disasters and mass violence events, all types of disasters are on the rise and causing increased financial, physical health, and mental health burden for so many. The field of trauma and our understanding of factors impacting recovery and resilience continue to grow and develop. One factor that remains a constant in supporting healing and resilience is the presence of strong positive relationships, especially for children, teens, and young adults. The most effective evidence-based programs to support youth after trauma highlight the importance of relationships, but they require intensive training and treatment. Unfortunately, as recent disasters have emphasized, the need for mental health services after trauma and disasters far outstrips the capacity to provide such services. As a result, access to universal programs designed to improve relationships to help in the healing process is lacking; Child-Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE) helps address this need. CARE is a trauma-informed set of skills created to enhance relationships and reduce mild to moderate child behavior challenges that often present after trauma. CARE is for use by any adult interacting with a child or adolescent and can be used alone or to complement other intervention services. Thus far, CARE has been disseminated widely across the US and internationally. Adaptations have been made for the use of CARE in childcare and school settings, in primary and integrated care settings, with foster parents, and after disasters /mass casualty events, and others. Medical, mental health, allied health professionals, and crisis counselors have received CARE training to complement their services, especially for children experiencing trauma. This workshop will focus on how CARE can be implemented within the context of disasters to foster secure and positive relationships and promote children’s resilience after trauma. The workshop will include didactic information, videos, activities, and live practice with feedback for the greatest learning potential. Implementation, dissemination efforts, and research will be discussed, helping participants determine how to generalize the use of CARE in their specific settings.