I speak for the whole team when I say we are happy to celebrate the Center entering its third year! The Center on Child Wellbeing and Trauma (CCWT) was established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2021 following recommendations made by the Childhood Trauma Task Force and has continued to expand each fiscal year since. The CCWT supports child-serving organizations and systems in becoming trauma-informed and responsive through trainings, technical assistance, communities of practice, and coaching.
We have many accomplishments to share, and you can read about them in the CCWT FY23 Year in Review which highlights the successes of the Center over the last fiscal year. It has been a productive year, and the Center has reached thousands of providers including teachers, human service workers, staff agency staff, and provider organizations across the state.
We are grateful to everyone who has worked with us during the Center’s launch and growth! In addition to sharing our myriad of accomplishments, I want to note two particularly exciting updates:
- As the Center grows and focuses on long-term implementation and sustainability goals, it is shifting to become a division of the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA). This transition reflects the Legislature’s long-term commitment to the Center as demonstrated by the creation of a separate line item for the Center under the OCA’s budget. As the executive director of the Center, I have already moved to our new home and can be reached at Audrey.Smolkin@mass.gov. As always, I am happy to hear from stakeholders and partners.
- We are often asked for technical assistance on how best to identify trauma, what it looks like, and whether screening for trauma is a helpful tool for providers. We are excited to launch a new section of our website “Identifying Trauma” which addresses these issues and includes one-page flyers on signs of trauma by age group. A special shout out to the designers and content experts who developed this section: Brittany Winebar, one of our amazing technical assistance leads, and Alix Rivere, senior policy and research analyst at the OCA. Please check it out and let us know what you think!
Please know that we are very grateful to our provider and state agency partners and to all our stakeholders who have shared their wisdom and time with us. We share a vision for a Massachusetts filled with resilient children and thank you for your partnership!