**This event is open to the public, and is appropriate for beginner to intermediate professionals, paraprofessionals, and other individuals working with children and families who may experience trauma.**

This workshop is focused on the use of pharmacotherapy with youth experiencing complex trauma. The workshop describes the clinical presentation of complex trauma, then explains the importance of diagnosis due to the multifaceted clinical presentation of complex trauma and the role of differential diagnoses. The management of those diagnoses may include psychotropic medications and the applications of the potential medications are identified and described in this workshop. The overarching goal of the workshop is to better support families in navigating pharmacotherapy, given the nature of complex trauma.

This module is a part of the Complex Trauma Training Consortium Master Series (CTTC Training Module #15). This project is supported by National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) Category II Treatment & Services Adaptation Centers Grant # H79SM085102 awarded to Adelphi University through the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS).  

Registered participants will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to join the session.

Target audience:  This intermediate level 1.5 hour workshop is appropriate for beginner to  intermediate professionals, paraprofessionals, and other individuals working with children and families who may experience trauma.  Some introductory background in complex trauma is useful.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will be able to:

1.    Describe the clinical presentation of complex trauma and how it could lead to differential diagnoses.
2.    Explain why diagnosis is important.
3.    Discuss comorbidity in pediatric trauma.
4.    Identify different classes of psychotropic medications and their uses, including antidepressants, mood stabilizers, stimulants, antiadrenergic medications, antipsychotics, and sedatives/hypnotics.

Presenter Bio:

Jennifer Serico, PhD is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her clinical, training and research interests focus on the dissemination of evidence-based, trauma-informed, culturally humble care to improve outcomes for dysregulated youth who have experienced trauma. Dr. Serico’s work emphasizes partnering with caregivers to support youth in healing from trauma. She is a certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) within-agency trainer and a Child Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE) trainer. 

The presenter has no actual or potential conflict of interest and/or commercial support relevant to this presentation.  AI was not utilized in generating materials or in the development of this presentation.

Continuing Education:

Kennedy Krieger Institute, Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress is authorized by the Board of Social Work Examiners in Maryland to sponsor social work continuing education learning activities and maintains full responsibility for this program. This training qualifies for Category I continuing education units. Social Workers will be provided 1.5 CEUs.   

Psychologist: 

Kennedy Krieger Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Kennedy Krieger Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Licensed psychologists will be granted 1.5 CE credits for the lecture attended in full. 

Cost: Fee is $30 for attendees requesting continuing education credit.  If you are not requesting continuing education credit, registration is FREE.

RSVP:  9/24/26     

For more information, email Training Academy at traumaticstresstraining@kennedykrieger.org.

If an accommodation or assistance for individuals with disabilities is needed, please email the above address with your request by September 21, 2026.

Payment Information:

Registration fee must be received prior to training day. Should you have any questions, please email traumaticstresstraining@kennedykrieger.org.

If for any reason you need to pay by check, please email  traumaticstresstraining@kennedykrieger.org.

Cancellation Policy:

Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress-Training Academy reserves the right to cancel any of its workshops due to unforeseen circumstances. In this event, we will refund the registration fee only and not additional costs associated with attending the workshop. 

Cancellations with refund request must be submitted at least 5 business days prior to the date of the training. All refund requests must be documented in writing.  Please also send requests to TraumaticStressTraining@KennedyKrieger.org.

Should you have any questions, email traumaticstresstraining@kennedykrieger.org