About Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI)
Dr. Rodriguez is a master trainer in Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI) with the Yale Child Study Center.
About CFTSI
The Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI) is a brief treatment for children and youth 7-18 years old, together with a parent or other caregiver.
CFTSI increases family support for children exposed to a potentially traumatic event. CFTSI helps enhance communication about the child’s symptoms and responses to the event, and teaches the family skills to manage the child’s negative reactions.
Implemented immediately following a potentially traumatic event or disclosure of physical or sexual abuse, CFTSI provides a seamless introduction to longer-term treatment and other mental health interventions.
Who can benefit from CFTSI?
CFTSI can help children who have been exposed to many different types of potentially traumatic events—whether exposure is a single event or chronic—including sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, community violence, rape, assault, or motor vehicle accidents.
CFTSI is meant to be implemented immediately following a potentially traumatic event or following disclosure of physical or sexual abuse.
CFTSI has been adapted for use with children in Foster Care.
CFTSI Treatment Goals
Reduce negative reactions or symptoms related to the upsetting event
Strengthen communication between caregiver and child to enhance emotional support
Teach and practice skills to help reduce trauma reactions
Help families address practical needs such as safety, legal issues or medical care
Assess whether the child needs longer-term treatment
CFTSI Fills a Gap
An evidence-based early intervention, CFTSI fills the gap between standardized acute interventions and evidence-based, longer-term treatments required to deal with enduring post-traumatic reactions.
CFTSI can work as a key addition to an agency’s menu of services:
Brief manualized treatment
Implemented immediately following a potentially traumatic event or after disclosure of physical or sexual abuse
Adaptable for a variety of settings, including those with briefer lengths of stay
Decreases post-traumatic stress reactions and onset of PTSD by strengthening communication and family support
Seamless introduction to longerterm treatment and other mental health interventions
Testimonials for Dr. Rodriguez
