Trauma Informed Care/Mental Health
Highlighting the Need for Trauma Informed Care and Practices
About the Mental Health Working Group
Who We Are:
ISPCAN Working Group lead by world renowned experts in the field of Trauma informed Mental Health Care and ISPCAN Members committed to sharing their time and expertise to create and share impactful research and programs on this critical topic
Our Mission:
We are bringing together trauma-informed care and practices that would be beneficial to any community. The goal is to develop practical tools and resources that make providing mental health care attainable for children and families.
Shape the future of the Mental Health Working Group
Bring your ideas and expertise and collaborate with us on events at ISPCAN Congresses and online throughout the year. Together, we'll create opportunities to explore emerging mental health issues, share and create valuable resources, expand knowledge, and work to bring mental health data to action.
Why Join the Mental Health Working Group?
Global Connections
Network with mental health professionals, experts, and mentors worldwide.
Trauma Informed Impactful Programs
Access to data driven effective Mental Health programs.
Career Advancement
Opportunities to present your work at ISPCAN congresses and virtually.
Cutting-Edge Research
Work alongside world-renowned Mental Health Experts to make an impact in this this critical area.
Collaborate & Innovate
Learn from others and work on global projects, research, and advocacy initiatives.
Vicarious Trauma for Child Protection Professionals
Get the expertise and support you need to address burnout and fatigue
Get Involved
How to get involved in the Mental Health Working Group
Sign up for an ISPCAN Membership
Connect with the Mental Health Working Group on the member portal
Subscribe to the ISPCAN Newsletter and discussions in the member portal
Join the discussion, start connecting & grow your career!
Who Can Join?
If you are a mental health professional or have an interest in learning more about trauma-informed responses to child abuse and neglect, then please join us for the latest cutting-edge research and practice in this area, please consider joining us. The Mental Health Working group is open to active ISPCAN members only.
Current Projects
Join us in Vilnius
Bring your ideas and expertise and collaborate with us during the pre-congress Mental Health Working Group Meeting in Vilnius. Together, we'll create opportunities to enhance your skills, expand your knowledge, and build meaningful connections.
Pre-Congress Workshop: Understanding, Identifying and Responding – Achieving the Goal of a Trauma Informed Child Welfare System
Upcoming Events
Latest Webinar
The Cost of Caring: Strategies to Combat Burnout and Secondary Trauma among Professionals Working with Children
June 2025
Online Working Group Forum
Connect with global mental health experts to seek advice, share and develop resources, discuss challenges, and explore opportunities in the field.
Ongoing
Mental Health Working Group Meetings at Congresses
Half-day pre-congress working group will offer a half-day workshop tailored to mental health professionals.
October In Vilnius
MENTAL HEALTH EMERGING THEMES
• More training in trauma-informed approaches and treatments for mental health professionals and other “front line” professions including schools, disaster settings, child welfare
• Effective and meaningful use of data; data sharing
• Impact of parental substance misuse
• Pathologizing trauma reactions
• Improving access to care
• Making mental health the first priority – not the last
• Burnout/secondary traumatic stress on the provider and other professional (need for more training; peer networks)
Related Resources
Supporting Downloads
External Resources
Past Congress Recaps
Conveners of the Trauma Informed Care/ Mental Health Working Group
Brooks Keeshin, MD
Child Abuse Pediatrician and Child Psychiatrist at the University of Utah
Brooks provides trauma informed psychiatric services at Primary Children’s Center for Safe and Healthy Families and is the Associate Vice Chair of Child Mental Health at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. Dr. Keeshin’s academic efforts focus on detecting and responding to children, adolescents and youth at risk for traumatic stress and suicide. He is director of the Utah Psychotropic Oversight Program, which is responsible for ensuring that all youth in foster care receive safe, evidence based and trauma informed psychiatric treatment. Dr. Keeshin is also the director of Pediatric Integrated Post-trauma Services (PIPS), a Category II Center of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
Jessica Griffin, PsyD
Executive Director & Principal Investigator of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Child Trauma Training Center
Jessica L. Griffin, Psy.D. is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), where she has been a faculty member since 2006 and is the Executive Director of the UMMS Child Trauma Training Center. She has been working as a Licensed Psychologist since 2004. Dr. Griffin is a nationally recognized expert in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), the most rigorously tested treatment for trauma in children with over 21 clinical trials supporting its efficacy and effectiveness. Dr. Griffin provides training and ongoing consultation in TF-CBT, for providers across New England. Since joining the faculty at UMMS in 2006, Dr. Griffin has trained and provided consultation for over 6000 clinicians across the northeast United States including Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Maine as well as California. In 2012, Dr. Griffin developed the University of Massachusetts, Child Trauma Training Center, where her center has now trained over 36,000 professionals in trauma, trauma-informed care, and trauma sensitive practices.
Zlatina Kostova, PhD
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Zlatina Kostova, PhD is a clinical psychologist and the Director of Training at Lifeline for Kids at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. With a strikingly multidisciplinary and multicultural education obtained in Italy, Switzerland and the US, she has a strong background in clinical psychology and her main interests lie in the area of childhood trauma and mindfulness-based interventions. Dr. Kostova is an international trainer in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), a Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) qualified teacher and she is also a certified trainer for teaching trauma-informed curricula developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). Dr. Kostova is actively collaborating and presenting at an international level and she is a go-to expert in implementing evidence-based treatments for children and youth in several countries, including war torn zones as Ukraine.