The mission of The Institute for Child and Adolescent Development,
ICAD, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is to help children and
their families cope with the aftermath of traumatic events. ICAD has designed
unique early detection, intervention and prevention programs to help these
children, which are provided pro-bono at ICAD's community outreach programs.
Publicity about violence in schools and neighborhoods has focused much
needed attention on this form of trauma. However, many children also
experience illness or death of a loved-one, family divorce, alcoholism,
homelessness, accidents and bullying as traumatic events. Research conducted
at ICAD has shown that children who experience traumatic events are
at greater risk for academic and social failure: skipping school, abuse
of alcohol and drugs, regressive or aggressive behaviors and suicide.
Nearly 40% of the 800 children ICAD has screened through its programs
have needed some intervention to deal with the emotional scarring due
to traumatic events.
In addition, treatment is provided in the Therapeutic Garden at ICAD
(winner of "Presidents Award of Excellence" by the American
Society of Landscape Architecture) which provides children and their
therapists the opportunity to interact with landscape in order to resolve
the effects of trauma.
ICAD was launched in December 1991 to bring the knowledge and experience
obtained over many years by Dr. Sebastiano Santostefano and his team
to a broader audience, particularly economically disadvantaged and underserved
children who, by the very nature of their environments, are more apt
to experience emotional trauma. The team's focus on these settings enabled
them to identify and develop services for children who are most likely
to have the fewest resources, highest needs, and greatest potential
for benefit.
Our Mission
ICAD's mission is to help children and their families cope with the
aftermath of traumatic events. ICAD has designed unique early detection,
intervention and prevention programs to help these children, which are
provided at ICAD's community outreach programs.
Who We Are
We are a group of psychologists and counselors dedicated to providing
the highest caliber intervention and prevention services to at risk
children and their families who have experienced traumatic events. We
travel to the children, providing our services at schools and community
agencies, and at these sites do not charge for our services.
We also train graduate and post graduate students and conduct research
on childhood trauma, sharing in professional publications and conferences.
We are accredited by the American Psychological Association as a continuing
education provider.
Who We Serve
Publicity about shootings and other forms of violence in schools and
neighborhoods has focused much needed attention on this form of trauma.
However, also experience homelessness, family divorce, alcoholism, accidents
or death of a loved-one, and bullying (name-calling and physical harassment)
as traumatic events. Research has shown that children who experience
traumatic events are at greater risk for academic and social failure:
skipping school, abuse of alcohol and drugs, regressive or aggressive
behaviors and suicide. Nearly 40% of the children ICAD has screened
through its programs have needed some intervention to deal with the
emotional scarring due to traumatic events.
Treatment Programs
In addition, treatment is provided in the Therapeutic Garden at ICAD
(winner of "Presidents Award of Excellence" by the American
Society of Landscape Architecture) which provides children and their
therapists the opportunity to interact with landscape in order to resolve
the effects of trauma.
Our Goals
· Community Sites - locate and establish sites at schools and/or
community facilities that would provide ICAD staff an opportunity to
deliver diagnostic evaluations and counseling to children who experienced
stressful events and who were identified by school staff or community
workers as "at risk" for future social and academic failure.
This goal would prevent costly outpatient care or hospitalization in
the future.
· Training - contribute to an understanding of how schools and
community agencies could be empowered to break the cycle of life stressors
leading to severe symptoms. ICAD staff would provide training seminars
for teachers and paraprofessionals at schools and other community sites,
focusing on diagnostic assessment methods and treatment approaches.
· Research - as in the past, ICAD staff would continue Santostefano's
research programs to evaluate whether and how emotional and intellectual
development of children are affected and impaired by life stressors.
· Seminars and Workshops - programs designed to provide social
workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts and other mental
health professionals with ICAD's research findings and updated techniques
in diagnostic and counseling techniques designed especially for children.
