The Bounce Back Program

Initiative Description: Evaluation of Mental health intervention for elementary school students exposed to trauma. The Bounce Back Program was developed as an extension for younger elementary school students of Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS), a school-based group intervention found to be effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in middle school youth exposed to a broad range of traumatic events.

Study Results: Participants identified the importance of pre-implementation parent education, raising awareness of the impact of student mental health among educators, maintaining ongoing communication during the intervention, and addressing logistical concerns. Parents urged providers to “keep it simple” and clear and liked the idea of having the curriculum for the program available

Reference: Langley, A., Santiago, C. D., Rodriquez, A., & Zelaya, J. (2012). Improving implementation of mental health services for trauma in multicultural elementary schools: Stakeholder perspectives on parent and educator engagement. PsycEXTRA Dataset, doi:10.1037/e533652013-352.

Level of Evidence: Fair