The experience of trauma among people with substance abuse and mental health disorders, especially those involved with the justice system, is so high as to be considered an almost universal experience.
Judges and attorneys who work in the child welfare system are well aware that many of the children in the system have experienced trauma1; less well recognized is that the birth parents of these children often have their own histories of childhood and adult trauma
Therapeutic treatment of the psychosocial after-effects of childhood exposure to traumatic stressors is a key component in the development of trauma-informed juvenile justice systems.
A system of care is a coordinated network of community-based services and supports designed to meet the challenges of children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families.
