The Child and Adolescent Special Interest Group (C&A SIG) was formed several years ago by a group of ISSTD members who work with children and adolescents. The C&A SIG grew since its conception, and currently includes over 60 members who work with traumatized and dissociative children and adolescents all around the world. An email list-serve dedicated to the C&A SIG allows group members to share resources and referrals, ask clinical questions, and brainstorm about the field. In addition to the list-serve, the C&A SIG meets annually at the ISSTD Annual Conference. The most recent meeting took place in Chicago on March 25th of this year. The C&A SIG’s mission is to provide collaboration, support, and education about assessment and treatment of child and adolescent trauma and dissociation, internationally. Specific interests include research of childhood trauma and dissociation; education of first responders, foster parents, teachers, CPS workers, medical personnel, policy makers, and allied child-professionals; a professional community for those working with childhood trauma; and the evaluation and treatment of child and adolescent trauma and dissociation. The C&A SIG is actively exploring ways to increase utilization of the SIG itself, as well as seeks avenues for improving how scientific support for the impact of all manner of early life trauma is shared. The group’s international composition offers a window to the ways trauma is—both successfully and less successfully—dealt with around the world. There is interest among group members in finding ways to increase access to training and continuing education for school psychologists and allied professionals who work with children (e.g. Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, and School Nurses). In addition, C&A SIG members may hopefully soon have the option of participating in clinical outcome studies in treatment of trauma and dissociation in children and adolescents. In all it does, the C&A SIG hopes to help raise ISSTD’s recognition among professionals and the public, and broaden the impact ISSTD has as an organization. Are you an ISSTD member working with and/or interested in issues related to trauma and dissociation in children and adolescents? The C&A SIG is happy to grow. Together we can work to disseminate information about the impact of developmental trauma and clarify the role trauma and dissociation play in children’s lives. For more information, or to add your knowledge and skills to our C&A SIG, contact the C&A SIG’s chairperson, Na’ama Yehuda, at: naamayehuda@aol.com For general questions about the ISSTD SIGs or other membership questions, you can contact ISSTD HQ at: info@isst-d.org
