Illinois Childhood Trauma Coalition

Mission Statement

The goal of this Coalition is to take a public health approach to the evolving understanding of the nature and impact of childhood trauma and to expedite the integration of this wisdom into public awareness and the array of systems that serve children and families in Illinois.  The Coalition will provide a forum for leadership from multiple disciplines and service areas to coordinate and sustain the work that is essential to reach this goal.  Critical components of this work include,

• Building capacity of public and private systems to develop and implement trauma informed and culturally sensitive practices;

• Identifying public/private synergies and cross-service area opportunities;

• Advocating for the development of systems and programs designed to prevent childhood exposure to traumatic experiences and to provide services responsive to trauma

• Providing access and coordination for dissemination of research, training materials, practice experiences and policy development;

• Promoting public awareness of importance of prevention, early identification, and treatment of childhood trauma; and

• Developing and advocating public policy positions that support Coalition goals.