Over the past 25 years, we have learned a great deal more about which services work best for children with mental or behavioral health challenges. Services that have been found to work very well for children and have research supporting them are called “evidence-based practices.” Evidence-based practices have also been proven to work in the real world with children who have real issues and concerns.
Best and promising practices are services that we believe to be the best available services for children, but do not yet have enough research demonstrating that they work to be called evidence-based practices. This does not mean that they do not work or are not research-based. Typically, best and promising practices have demonstrated some efficacy in smaller studies and/or based on anecdotal reports from mental health providers, but still require more research to prove that they will be effective across a wide range of settings and populations.
It is important to note that evidence-based practices have not yet been identified for all mental health issues that children face. Providers should involve parents and caregivers in developing treatment plans with clear goals where results can be measured over time. In Connecticut, evidence-based practices are only available in some places, depending upon your child’s issues and concerns. Many community-based providers offer these services for children with mental health issues; ask your mental health provider about them when you contact them for help.
Examples of evidence-based treatments for children available in Connecticut include Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and/or Conduct Problems (MATCH-ADTC), Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC), Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI), and (for schools) Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS).
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