About Us
The impact of childhood trauma is a critical public health crisis. In Texas, a powerful collaborative effort has been established to combat it: the Texas Childhood Trauma Research Network (TX-CTRN).
Created by the 86th Texas Legislature as the research arm of the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium (TCMHCC), the TX-CTRN unites the state’s leading health-related institutions to address the urgent mental health challenges faced by its youth. The network is not just an academic endeavor; it’s a vital, coordinated effort to transform the care system for our children who have experienced traumatic events.
Mission
Our primary mission is to improve mental health services to produce positive long-term outcomes for Texas children and adolescents affected by trauma. We pursue this mission through three goals:
- Clarify the consequences of trauma – systematically examine and identify the mental health effects that result from a singular traumatic event and ongoing trauma in children and adolescents, while also exploring how various risk and protective factors influence a child’s resilience and recovery.
- Improve mental health services – identify and validate the best practices for treating trauma-related conditions, then implement them in clinics across the state.
- Inform policy and bridge gaps – generate actionable research and data to inform policymakers and help identify gaps in regional and statewide service delivery.
