SPARCS

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SPARCS Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents
Responding to Chronic Stress A Guide for
Trauma-Focused Groups
SM
Mandy Habib, Psy.D. Ruth DeRosa, Ph.D.
North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System
Adolescent Trauma Treatment Development Center
Manhasset, New York mhabib_at_nshs.edu
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Still in the Middle of the Hurricane
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Complex PTSD
SPARCS
Complex PTSD
Complex PTSD
Complex PTSD
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Complex PTSD

• Problems with

• Regulation of Affect Impulses
• Cognitive Functioning/
• Dissociation
• Somatization
• Sense of Self
• Relationships
• Systems of Meaning

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Development of the Manual
Adapted From

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• for Adolescents
• Miller, Rathus Linehan, in press

• TARGET
• Ford Russo, 2006

• UCLA Trauma/Grief
• Group Psychotherapy
• Layne, Saltzman, Pynoos, et al., 2000

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SPARCS Collaborations

• Outpatient Clinics
• Childrens Institute Incorporated, LA, CA
• The Village Family Services, North Hollywood, CA
• Mental Health Center of Dane County, Madison, WI
• Open Arms, Albany, GA
• New York Foundling, NYC
• Adolescent HIV Clinic, North Shore LIJ
• Dept. of Children Family Services, (foster
  care), Chicago, Illinois
• Residential Day Treatment
• Madonna Heights RTC RTF, Dix Hills, NY
• Andrus Childrens Center, Yonkers, NY
• Dane County Group Home, Madison, WI
• St. Marys Group Home, Boston, MA
• Adolescent Substance Abuse Program, North Shore
  LIJ
• School-based groups
• St. Vincents, NYC
• Safe Horizon, NYC
• Center for Child and Family Health, Durham, NC
• Teenage Parenting Program, Seaford, NY

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SPARCS Group Members

• For adolescents between 12-19 years old
• History of chronic (interpersonal) trauma
• Designed for adolescents who may be living with
  significant ongoing stressors
• May or may never have met full criteria for PTSD
• Exhibit functional impairment

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SPARCS

• 16 Sessions (60 minutes per session)
• Present-focused
• No systematic exposure component included
• Strength-based

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Broad Goals of the ProgramEnhance Resilience

• The Cs
• Connect with others (communicate)
• Cope more effectively in the moment
• Cultivate awareness
• Create meaning

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SPARCS Core Skills

• MAKE A LINK
  communication connecting with others
  
• Let M Go problem-solving and creating
  meaning
• Distress Tolerance coping more
  effectively in the moment
• Mindfulness cultivating awareness

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Session Structure

• Check In
• Mindfulness practice
• Review of application of previous weeks topics
• Session-specific content
• Activities role plays, movie clips, projects
• Snack
• Check-out

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Bottle About to Burst
Psychoeducation re Stress Reactions
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Reactions to Trauma
Mental Shutdown (Dissociation) People tell me Im
spacing out a lot. I fee like Im in a dream or
dont know myself. I feel like Im watching
myself from outside, Its like separate parts of
me take control of my life.
Trying to Feel Safe/In Control I wont let myself
eat. I make myself throw up because I am afraid
of losing control of my eating and gaining
weight. I eat to feel better. I drink or drug to
try to forget.
Extreme Risk-Taking or Self-Harm I do dangerous
things, hanging out where I could get hurt. I get
relief by cutting, punching, or hurting my body.
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Preliminary SPARCS Outcome Data

• All subjects
• Completed SPARCS group treatment
• Had previous trauma
• Had pre-treatment Youth Outcome Questionnaire
  total scores in clinical range, i.e.gt47
• Were female, mean age 15.46 years

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YOQ (n20)

Community norm total 10.6-37.2


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