This presentation will provide participants with a working knowledge of Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation for Adolescents (STAIR-A), a cognitive-behavioral treatment model specifically developed for use with multiply traumatized youth. STAIR-A focuses on helping youth understand the impact of trauma on their lives, manage their emotions more effectively, and build and maintain healthy relationships. Multiple traumatization leads not only to increased PTSD symptom severity, but also to significant disruption in the achievement of developmental goals of childhood and adolescence. Skills in effectively regulating emotions and building and maintaining healthy relationships are particularly compromised in youth exposed to family and community violence. STAIR-A was developed to help traumatized youth learn targeted skills that have been shown to significantly enhance functioning, self-efficacy, and decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety.
