Guadalupe L. Ross 
Clinical staff at Options Behavioral Health provide clinical support to units where adolescents ages 12-18 receive trauma-informed care. Behind this clinical support structure lies a training infrastructure that helps to ensure interactions facilitate therapeutic goals for vulnerable patients..
The Indianapolis facility includes clinicians who complete specialized certification in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy before treating adolescent patients. This preparation process reflects research showing that treatment outcomes improve significantly when therapists demonstrate high fidelity to evidence-based trauma interventions.
Staff Development Programs
Options Behavioral Health implements a multi-layered approach to trauma-informed care training that begins with foundational education about adolescent trauma responses. Protocols aim to ensure that staff learn to recognize how traumatic experiences can manifest differently in developing brains, with symptoms often appearing as behavioral challenges rather than traditional PTSD presentations.
The facility’s training curriculum emphasizes treatment models that support high-quality care for adolescents. Research shows that proper implementation of this model can reduce PTSD symptoms by effect sizes of 1.14, making therapist competence a critical factor in patient outcomes.
Crisis Prevention and De-escalation Support
Protocols for clinical staff at Options Behavioral Health include the completion of Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) certification, which helps to support specialized learning to identify triggers and implement de-escalation techniques that maintain therapeutic relationships during challenging moments. This training is tailored to deliver specialized support to trauma-exposed adolescents and their heightened reactivity to perceived threats.
Staff training includes programs that help those who care for adolescents learn to distinguish between trauma responses and behavioral challenges, adjusting their interventions accordingly to prevent retraumatization while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Options Behavioral Health aims to maintain training standards that help ensure clinicians receive ongoing education about emerging trauma treatment research..
The facility protocols include supervision models that support staff in applying trauma-informed principles.. Research demonstrates that ongoing consultation and supervision significantly improve treatment fidelity, with studies showing that therapists who receive regular feedback maintain higher competence scores over time.
Quality Assurance and Professional Development
Joint Commission accreditation at behavioral health facilities requires staff to demonstrate competence in trauma-informed care principles through regular assessments and continuing education. This accreditation process, which Options Behavioral Health also operates under, helps ensure that training programs meet standards for adolescent behavioral health treatment.
Commitment to professional development extends beyond mandatory training to include opportunities for advanced certification in specialized interventions. Staff can pursue additional training in dialectical behavior therapy, EMDR, and other evidence-based approaches that complement the facility’s trauma-informed foundation.
Studies indicate that stable, well-trained clinical teams create more therapeutic environments, leading to improved recovery rates and reduced need for higher levels of care.
Click here to learn more about Options Behavioral Health.
