The Center for Traumatic Stress Research was founded in 2012 by Dr. Cirecie West-Olatunji, a counselor educator. The focus of the research center team is to investigate the psychological and emotional effects of trauma on individuals, families, and communities due to: (a) cultural hegemony in education, (b) natural and human-made disasters, and (c) child sexual abuse (CSA). The investigators also seek to discover empirically tested clinical interventions that mitigate the effects of traumatic stress for client populations.
Center Goals
- Develop research projects exploring the relationship between traumatic stress and children’s emotional and psychological well being.
- Provide high quality learning opportunities that include professional development, learning institutes, and distance learning courses (for credit), regarding effective and innovative practices that mediate the effects of traumatic stress.
- Provide resources, technical assistance, and consultation on innovations related to the areas of research focus.
- Expand partnerships and networking among agencies, schools, parents, and community partners to promote sharing of information on effective practices.