For More Information:

Lesley Sternin; LesleyS@jfcs.org; 415-359-2476

Child Trauma Training Institute

The Child Trauma Training Institute provides state-of-the-art, evidence-based training for early childhood mental health professionals. Our mission is to enhance knowledge about the treatment of traumatized children ages birth through 5 years. Participants have the opportunity to develop or expand skills in relationship-based treatment for children and families, with an emphasis on the impact of trauma in early childhood.

Trauma and Young Children

Young children exposed to trauma are at risk for significant cognitive, social, and emotional problems. Trauma can negatively affect children's brain development, readiness to learn, and family relationships. Skillful intervention in the early years of a child's development requires special training in the foundations of early childhood mental health.

Alliance with UCSF General Hospital

The Institute is sponsored by JFCS' Parents Place San Francisco in collaboration with University of California / San Francisco General Hospital / Child Trauma Research Program.

The Program

Currently, the program offers a fellowship in Child-Parent Psychotherapy, an evidence-based, dyadic model of treatment for young children. Topics included are:

• Advanced Theory: attachment, psychodynamic, trauma

• Treatment Targets and Strategies

• The Assessment Process

• Perturbations in Early Relationships

• Treating Disturbances and Disorders

• Variations in Child-Parent Psychotherapy

• Advanced Diagnostic Classification System 0 – 3  

See Program Components

See Faculty

Apply online or contact program staff (see contact information in left column) for more information.

Eligibility and Fees

Clinicians who have a special interest in Early Childhood Mental Health and who want to expand their knowledge of both the foundations in this field and the theory and treatment of trauma should apply.

Subsidized tuition is $1,500 per year and is made possible by generous grants from the John and Lisa Pritzker Family Fund, the Ingrid D. Tauber Philanthropic Fund, other individual donations, fees, and corporate grants. These scholarships are available to encourage agency staff to enroll. For others, full tuition is $5,000 for the nine-month program.

Apply online or contact program staff (see contact information in left column) for more information.

Funding for scholarships to the Child Trauma Training Institute is provided by grants from the Lisa & John Pritzker Family Fund, the Ingrid D. Tauber Philanthropic Fund, individual donations, and fees.