Vol. 17, No. 2
May 2012

New Law Requires Screening for Trauma

On September 30, 2011, Congress passed the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act (P.L. 112-34). Among other things, this new law requires states to describe in their health care oversight plans:

• How they will screen for and treat emotional trauma associated with maltreatment and removal for children in foster care;
• The protocols in place or planned to oversee and monitor the use of psychotropic medications among children in foster care.

North Carolina anticipates Project Broadcast will help it meet both these requirements. As this article about Project Broadcast makes clear, there is a clear connection between trauma screening and this project.

The connection to psychotropic medication use is indirect but still strong. The hope is that if children in foster care receive trauma-informed, evidenced-based treatments, we will see a reduction in use of psychotropic medications in this population.

To read a federal Information Memorandum on P.L. 112-34, go to http://1.usa.gov/JLoQyz