Project BEST

Who We Are

Project BEST is a state-wide collaborative effort to use innovative community-based dissemination, training, and implementation methods to dramatically increase the capacity of every community in South Carolina to deliver evidence-supported mental health treatments (ESTs) to every abused and traumatized child who needs them. The long-term goal of Project BEST is to ensure that all South Carolina children and their families, who are identified as having experienced abuse and resulting trauma, receive appropriate, evidence supported mental health assessment and psycho-social treatment services. 

Our Mission

Our mission is to ensure that all abused children and their families in every community in South Carolina receive appropriate, evidence supported mental health assessment and treatment services.

 

Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents impacted by trauma and their parents or caregivers. Research shows that TF-CBT successfully resolves a broad array of emotional and behavioral difficulties associated with single, multiple and complex trauma experiences. You can find more information, including how to become nationally certified, on the TF-CBT Website.

If you have participated in a past training, please see our TF-CBT Learning Collaboratives tab for resources and materials. If you need to access your certificate of completion, update your listing in our Roster of Professionals, or have questions, please contact the Project BEST Team.

At this time, we have no open training scheduled.

 

Alternatives to Families: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT)

Alternatives for Families: a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) is a trauma-informed evidence-based treatment (EBT) designed to improve the relationships between children and caregivers in families involved in arguments/conflict, physical force/discipline/aggression, child physical abuse, or child behavior problems. You can find more information, including how to become nationally certified, on the AF-CBT Website.

Download a listing of agencies that provide Alternatives to Families: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT).  

Current list of AF-CBT Rostered Professionals.

At this time, we have no open training scheduled.

 

Problematic Sexual Behaviors- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PSB-CBT)

PSB-CBT is a group treatment model originally designed to treat youth ages 7 to 12 who present with PSB. The PSB-CBT treatment approach uses concurrent groups for youth and their caregivers with combined multi-family group sessions about once a month. Active participation of a caregiver is required, with the caregiver defined as the person who provides primary care of the child in the home (e.g., mother, father, step-parent, grandparent, foster parent). PSB-CBT shares the common theory base and core components of evidence-based programs (EBP) for PSB. The underlying approach is strengths-based, focusing on the youth as children first with capacity to learn and implement appropriate behavior, make safe decisions, and develop healthy relationships. Using cognitive-behavioral approaches, the youth are taught rules about sexual behavior and specific skills of coping, self-control, and decision making. Core treatment components with caregivers address managing child behavior, supporting healthy development, sex education, abuse prevention, and rules about sexual behavior. The PSB-CBT treatment manual provides structure and guidelines to the sessions, but it is not a “cookbook” that is rigidly implemented. Rather, the therapists implement the core component with adaptations to fit the families being served. The group modality includes sessions with the children and caregivers together concurrently.  These sessions are about once a month.  For the family modality, sessions vary in terms of setup: Caregiver alone, child alone, and the family together.    

You can find more information on the University of Oklahoma's Website.

A Community Based Learning Collaborative in PSB-CBT in February 2022. If you are a CBLC participant, you may view resources and materials on the PSB-CBT CBLC page using the navigation bar on the left.

 

North Carolina Child Treatment Program

Duke University and the Center for Child and Family Health in Durham, NC conduct a project in North Carolina which has goals and activities similar to those of Project BEST.

To learn more about the North Carolina Child Treatment Program and to find a roster of trained professionals in North Carolina, visit their website.

Project BEST is partially supported by grants from The Duke Endowment.