Trauma Program
CASA Mental Health’s Trauma program treats symptoms of attachment trauma by strengthening connection and safety between the child or teen and caregiver.
All program staff are trained in trauma-informed approaches. The program aims to connect families to the right service at the right time, without asking them to re-tell their story.
Who is the Trauma program for?
This program is for children and teens ages five to 17 who have experienced developmental or attachment trauma. Their early life experiences have made it hard for them to feel safe, trust others and manage their emotions, leading to challenges in their daily routine.
Children and teens must be in a stable home for at least six months prior to coming to the program. They must not be actively involved in a court case or custody dispute, or scheduled to be involved in a court case.
Families must live in the Edmonton or Calgary areas and be able to attend in-person appointments.
Nala's Story: Family Healing
This story blends the true experiences of many families at CASA Mental Health, while protecting patient privacy and illustrating shared realities.
Ten-year-old Nala had a rocky relationship with her dad and stepmom. Nala’s mom and dad had a very difficult divorce three years earlier. She wanted to stay with her mom, but was sent to live with her dad, who married someone else shortly after. Nala was devastated. She felt like she was betraying her mom by accepting her stepmom. Everyone was frustrated, and things were tense at home.
Nala’s pediatrician recommended CASA’s Trauma program. A new CASA Mental Health location had just opened in Calgary, where Nala lived. It was designed for kids just like her, who had gone through very difficult things. After meeting with the CASA therapist, Nala’s family was admitted to the Outpatient Trauma Clinic and set up regular appointments. Sometimes, it was only Nala with the therapist and other times Nala was with her dad and stepmom. Nala saw how committed her dad and stepmom were to her healing, and she started to feel closer to them both. Bit by bit, her nervous system settled, and she began to have fun expressing herself during appointments.
After six months of regular appointments, she finally felt like the divorce was in the past. She wasn’t constantly thinking about how much it hurt. Most importantly, though, she realized she could trust her mom and stepmom without betraying one of them. After time in the Trauma Clinic, the family committed to the work of healing. Along the way, the parents embraced trauma-informed, attachment-focused approaches to help Nala process her experiences, develop a stronger sense of self, and slowly rebuild trust in the adults who care for them. Her sense of safety grew, and she began to believe she was secure within her family.
Right before the end of the program, Nala and her stepmom shared a hug for the very first time – something Nala would have thought impossible at the start of her care. Today, Nala’s family says the Trauma Clinic changed their lives by helping them rediscover connection, trust and hope together.
Bella's Story: Creating Connection
This story blends the true experiences of many families at CASA Mental Health, while protecting patient privacy and illustrating shared realities.
Twelve-year-old Bella from Edmonton wanted close friends. She tried so hard to make them at school and in the neighbourhood, but it felt like everyone thought she was “weird.”
She had gone through the Trauma Outpatient Clinic last year after her dad went to jail. It helped with the pain of him leaving, but now, Bella’s mom was seeing the effect it was having on Bella socially and with her own relationship with Bella. Bella was disruptive and struggled to understand the social cues of her peers. She did not filter her thoughts before saying them and made impulsive choices at school and home.
Unsure of what to do next, Bella’s mom and Bella agreed to try CASA’s Trauma and Attachment Group (TAG). In group, Bella learned about the best ways to regulate her emotions and connect with her mom, like asking questions about others and listening. Bella’s mom learned how to practice this and other approaches with her at home, as often as possible.
During group, Bella and her mom were also introduced to a CASA psychiatrist, who recommended trying out a medication to help with Bella’s impulsivity and lack of attention. It took a few tries to find the one that worked best, but once they did, Bella’s brain allowed her to slow down and think through social situations before reacting to them and regretting it. She became better able to stay calm when her mom was asking her to follow through on chores at home.
Over the course of the year, Bella’s group leaders watched as she formed a closer bond with her mom and be able to relate to two other girls in the group.
Bella and her mom graduated from TAG knowing they could use the skills in other areas of life too. As Bella started junior high shortly after, she made friends with an entire group of new girls.
For the first time in a long time, Bella felt like she could connect with other people, and felt like she wasn’t alone at school or at home.
Cody's Story: Building Belonging
This story blends the true experiences of many families at CASA Mental Health, while protecting patient privacy and illustrating shared realities.
Sixteen-year-old Cody never had a good home life. His mom passed away when he was three, and he was an only child. He and his dad never got along, either. Last year, his dad found messages on his phone that outed Cody as gay, and had punished him harshly ever since. Making friends never felt easy either. Cody started to think his dad would just be better off without him, so he ran away.
Cody ended up at the youth shelter in Edmonton, where he met a therapist from CASA’s Trauma program. Cody rolled his eyes a bit, because he knew therapy could never “fix him.” The therapist didn’t push, but was there to listen if he wanted to talk.
The first night in the shelter was scary. Cody felt panicked, like he didn’t belong anywhere, even there. The next day, he hesitantly sat next to the therapist and asked to join the group activity he saw them running yesterday.
Cody joined the group that evening, and it wasn’t what he expected. Instead of sitting down and sharing feelings, they were learning how to cook homemade pizza. The other teens in the group were funny, and the group leader was kind. It was refreshing. When he sat down to eat with the other teens, he felt like maybe he belonged with other people after all.
A year later, Cody was living permanently with his aunt. He didn’t feel quite the same about therapy being useless. He ended up deciding it was “worth a shot,” and agreed to come to CASA’s Trauma program, where his mental health journey continues. Cody still has bad days, but is surrounded by a group of adults he knows he can trust.
What happens in the Trauma program?
When families come to the Trauma program, they meet with a mental health professional to create a treatment plan together. A treatment plan outlines the types of support that will serve the family best, wherever they are in their mental health journey.
From there, children and their caregivers get support from program staff through one-on-one, group or child-caregiver therapy sessions. Sessions can be more than just sitting down to talk – therapists might use art, play or movement to help kids express themselves when words aren’t enough.
The amount of time a family may need in the program varies, based on their own unique needs.
Children and their caregivers are supported through one or more of the following streams within the program:
- Outpatient Trauma Clinic
The outpatient clinic offers one-on-one and caregiver-child therapy sessions on a scheduled appointment basis. - Trauma and Attachment Group (TAG)
TAG is a structured therapy group for patients and their caregivers that prepares them for ongoing trauma therapy appointments by strengthening connection and safety in the relationship. TAG runs for one full school year. - Community Outreach
Sometimes, families or teens aren’t ready for traditional therapy. An outreach therapist meets youth or families wherever they’re at on their journey. The therapist can help them navigate the mental health system or connect them to social services that work for them. The goal is to set them up for success in future therapy. - Consultative Services
This stream provides trauma consultation and education to therapists outside of CASA Mental Health.
How do I access the Trauma program?
Children must be connected to a mental health therapist or psychiatrist when they are referred. These professionals can be from Recovery Alberta, CASA Mental Health, a community mental health organization or a private practice.
Please note, some of the additional supportive resources of the Trauma program are location dependent.
Speak to your mental health professional about a referral and direct them to the form below.
By ensuring the referral form is filled out completely, it reduces the need for families to re-tell their trauma story at the beginning of therapy.
