Program on Childhood Trauma and Maltreatment

Mark Everson, PhD

Nancy Berson, LCSW

Harriet Robinson, MSW, LCSW

Mary Crowson, PhD

Kathy Justice

Mission Statement

Our Program exists to promote safety and healing for maltreated and traumatized children, regardless of their financial status. We do this by providing high quality and timely clinical and forensic services to children and their families, state of the art training to other professionals, and authoritative leadership in the field.

Program Description

The Program on Childhood Trauma and Maltreatment is a unique outpatient clinical program at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, specializing in the assessment and treatment of abused, neglected, and psychologically traumatized children and adolescents. We offer clinical and forensic services in the form of brief assessments, extended evaluations, brief and long-term treatment, case reviews, case consultations, and expert witness testimony. Most of our referrals are received from child protective services, law enforcement, the courts, and other mental health professionals.

In addition, we provide training workshops and seminars for professionals from social services, law enforcement, mental health, and law. (We have presented workshops throughout North Carolina as well as in 20 other states, and in Canada and Germany.) A range of specific training topics are offered with a focus on the assessment of allegations of child sexual and physical abuse, child forensic interviewing, and psychological treatment of child and adolescent victims of abuse.

Program Funding

The Program was started in 1988 largely though the aid of private donations. Currently, the Program is supported from a combination of sources that includes departmental funds, fees-for-services, research grants, service and training contracts, and Medicaid. Because a significant percentage of the cases we serve are either reduced fee or pro bono, we also rely heavily on private donations and the fundraising activities of The Childhood Trust to help underwrite the cost of such services.

The Childhood Trust is a non-profit organization with a volunteer board that advocates for the Program and raises financial support to enable us to fulfill the Program mission of “promoting safety and healing for maltreated and traumatized children, regardless of financial status.”  The Trust raises funds from individuals, corporations, foundations, and special events.  A major event, which benefits the PCTM, is the Carolina Kids Classic Golf Tournament.  This major annual event, led by Host Emeritus Dean Smith and honorary hosts Roy Williams and Butch Daniels, also raises funds for the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill and the North Carolina Children's Hospital.  For more information, contact carolinakidsclassic.org.  To learn more about the Childhood Trust, please contact Don Walther via email at dwtrust@aol.com or telephone 919-403-1268.

Contact Information (Please note that we have moved to Southern Village):

Program on Childhood Trauma and Maltreatment
104-A Market Street
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516
Telephone: (919) 966-1760
Fax: (919) 966-7984