Child homelessness is highly correlated with complex traumatic exposure, which may include experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV), community violence, and chronic illness. Individuals exposed to complex trauma in childhood are at increased risk for poor health and psychosocial outcomes in adulthood. Despite this, trauma-focused behavioral health services are not a core service offered to families in shelter, and families often face barriers to accessing such services. In recognition of these barriers, a small family shelter (Jane Addams Place) secured a grant to offer trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) to its resident children. TF-CBT, an evidence-based practice, has proven successful in treating symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in this setting. This article describes the challenges and successes of this program, and proposes several practice implications.

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Mode of access: Internet.