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Child Trauma Not Only Affects Daily Life, It Also Has Profound Impacts on Children’s Behavior
and
Mental, Emotional, and Physical Health.

There Is Hope, and Healing Is Possible.

Through Trauma-Informed Care, Families Are Strengthening the Skills to Overcome
Childhood Trauma and Traumatic Stress.

Our Mission

Our child mental health services are designed to:

Improve the identification of trauma and child traumatic stress symptoms by widely disseminating training for professionals

Improve access to treatment for youth and families who have experienced trauma and adversity

Broadly disseminate high quality, family-focused, culturally competent training in evidence-based treatment to clinicians who work with trauma-affected youth

Helping Communities Optimize Child Mental Health and Overcome Childhood Trauma

At Lifeline for Kids, we’ve developed practical approaches to implementing trauma-informed care in nontraditional settings, including schools, law enforcement agencies, pediatric settings and other areas of our communities. These are being disseminated nationally through a variety of channels, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, school districts, courts, early childhood centers and juvenile justice settings.

Within our statewide child trauma center, we have trained thousands of professionals in trauma-informed care. Across these efforts, we have positively impacted the lives of countless of children who have experienced childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Learn more about what we do.

LINK-KID: A Centralized Referral Service

In 2012, we developed a highly innovative referral system for youth who experience trauma: LINK-KID.
Since then, we have successfully referred more than 5,000 youth to treatment—and drastically cut wait times for families in the process
(from 6 to 9 months down to approximately 40 days).

 

Please note: LINK-KID eligibility guidelines have changed.

We are currently accepting referrals for youth who are in any of the following categories:

            • Any youth aged 16-25 is eligible

            • Any youth residing in Worcester is eligible

            • Any youth involved with a Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) or the Office of the District Attorney (DA) is eligible

            • Any youth in foster care is eligible

If any of these categories apply, please click below to make a referral.

Get involved with LINK-KID. Become a LINK-KID affiliate provider or make a referral via web form or phone:


Become an Affiliate Provider                                                   Make a Referral for an Eligible Youth  



Call: 1-855-LINK-KID
(1-855-546-5543). Callers who are deaf or hard of hearing can use MassRelay 7-1-1 to access LINK-KID.

Email CTTCreferral@umassmed.edu with questions.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Through our programming and culturally-responsive trainings, we’re proactively and purposely
addressing inequities in mental health care and improving access to evidenced-based treatments.
Learn more about our commitment to equity in mental health.

Empowering Parents Is Critical to Raising Healthy Children

Lifeline for Families promotes whole family health by bridging the gap between child and caregiver mental health, including perinatal mental health. Perinatal mental health refers to mental health during pregnancy and up to 1 year postpartum.

At Lifeline for Moms, we’re building the capacity of perinatal mental health professionals around the world to address mental health and substance use conditions. See how we’re using evidence-based interventions and a national model for perinatal psychiatry care to improve care at Lifeline for Moms.

Get to Know the Lifeline for Families Team

Our team includes renowned experts in psychiatry, psychology, social work, obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn), and pediatrics. We’ve combined our collective expertise, collaborative relationships and scalable interventions to bridge the divide between parental and child health.

Meet our team.

Get Involved With Trauma-Informed Care for Youth and Families

Whether you want to participate in trauma-informed care training, training in evidence-based practices for trauma such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, or just support our cause, visit how to partner with Lifeline for Families.

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