CAPACITY-BUILDING FOR TRAUMA-INFORMED SERVICES IN CHILD WELFARE: MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT IN OUT-OF-HOME RESIDENTIAL CARE IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Purpose: Children and young persons (CYP) in the child welfare system (CWS) often present with high rates of trauma and related difficulties. However, there is a lack of systematic mental health assessment in CWS settings. This study evaluated a set of mental health assessment measures for CYP in out-of-home residential care in Singapore, and validated the measures against the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) used in current assessment practice. Method: The measures consisted of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale for DSM-5 (CPSS-5), Assessment Checklist for Children (ACC) and Adolescents (ACA), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and Youth Self-Report (YSR). Participants were 65 CYP in residential care. Participants completed self-report measures, and the welfare staff completed caregiver-report measures. Participants also completed a measure on emotion regulation. Data on trauma exposure and care plans were obtained via chart review. Results: Self-report measures demonstrated convergent validity with the CANS, related psychological difficulties, trauma exposure, and emotion regulation strategies. Staff-report measures demonstrated validity with the CANS and related psychological difficulties. The use of the measures identified more cases requiring psychological intervention compared to service-allocation-as-usual. Conclusions: The set of measures appeared to be relevant and feasible for use with CYP in residential care. The measures also demonstrated adequate validity against the CANS and trauma-related constructs, as well as utility in informing care planning. Findings support the need for systematic mental health screening and assessment for CYP entering care.