Southwest Michigan Children's Trauma Assessment Center

Our Philosophy

The Southwest Michigan Children's Trauma Assessment Center recognizes that exposure to potentially traumatic events can affect child functioning within the cognitive, affective, behavioral, and physiological domains. Many symptoms can subsequently be manifested, including hypervigilance, withdrawal, sleeping difficulties, depression, and significant mood swings. Often, such symptoms may not be immediately revealed. Early detection of child trauma can minimize psychological and physiological risk to children.

Our Goals

The goal of the Center is to assess the impact to children following exposure to traumatic events. The target population is children, ages three months to 17 years, entering foster care due to experiences of child abuse and/or neglect. Children with other traumatic experiences are also considered for assessment.