Evaluation and validation of the story-stem assessment tool Odense Child Trauma Screening (OCTS) with Norwegian children

Project Aim:

1) Examine the implementation of the story-stem assessment tool Odense Child Trauma Screening (OCTS) within Norwegian psychological practice, with a particular focus on child and adolescent clinics that assess children exhibiting clinical symptoms, as well as organizations who works with examining and aiding children exposed to violence.
2) Examine validity and reliability of the Norwegian version of OCTS using data from both a clinical sample and a general population sample of children.

Methodology:
- Translation of the OCTS materials into Norwegian
- Development of a training and certification program adapted to the organizational and professional context of Norwegian clinical psychology
- Data collection: Use of the OCTS, the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen 2 (CATS-2), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and demographic information from children in clinical settings, children exposed to violence, and children from the general population.

The project is based in Stavanger.

The OCTS materials have been translated into Norwegian, and a training and certification program has been developed to align with the professional practices of Norwegian psychologists. The program has been approved by the Norwegian Psychological Association and can be used to fulfill the national requirements for continuing professional development.

There is a need for ongoing course delivery and continuous supervision to ensure sustainable knowledge and experience within organizations. This is particularly important due to changes in team composition and staff turnover within organizational departments, as well as to ensure the proper training of newly recruited personnel.

Online training programs, delivered by both Danish and Norwegian OCTS trainers, have proven doable. However, efforts are underway to train Norwegian OCTS instructors who can independently conduct courses and provide supervision. This is the long-term goal of the project in order to ensure a broader Norwegian dissemination and long-term maintenance of professional clinical competencies related to identification of traumatization i young children.

The goal of the project is to:

1) Explore how the psychological assessment tool called the Odense Child Trauma Screening (OCTS), which uses story stem- and play-based method, can be used in Norwegian settings — especially in child and youth clinics that work with children facing psychological challenges, and in organizations that support children affected by violence.
2) Examine how the Norwegian version of OCTS works with both children receiving clinical help and children from the general population.

The project is taking place in Stavanger, Norway.

The work includes:

- Translating the OCTS materials into Norwegian
- Creating a training and certification program that fits with how psychologists work in Norway
- Collecting information using OCTS, tools that measure PTSD in young children, questionnaires about children’s strengths and difficulties, and background information. This data will come from children with psychological challenges, children affected by violence, and children from the general population.