Title: Effectiveness of TF-CBT with Sex Trafficking Victims in a Secure Post-adjudication Facility

Authors: Claudia Schmidt, MS; A. Stephen Lenz, PhD; and Marvarene Oliver, EdD

Description: Children who are victims of sex trafficking are at risk for developing chronic mental health needs, with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression being the most common diagnoses reported amongst domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST). And while there are depictions of treatment effects for TF-CBT as an intervention for children who have been victims of sex trafficking, Schmidt et al. (2021) stated there is little research for reference for counselors working in DMST facilities in the United States. Moreover, there is a need to identify not just the impact of treatment on PTSD symptoms, but also the course of treatment effects and perceptions of related processes (Schmidt et al.). This mixed-method study addresses those needs and provides counselors who register for this continuing education with implications for use of TF-CBT with victims of DMST.