Trauma and Community Resilience Center

MAPP is a violence prevention program managed by a multidisciplinary team of providers at Boston Children’s Hospital that serves youth under the age of 18 at risk for violence due to grievances and/or beliefs. The program’s initial development was funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which supported the implementation of MAPP using a multi-sectoral, evidence-informed, and community-based approach.

Upon entry into the program, the youth and family complete an initial strengths, risk, and needs assessment with a team of MAPP providers; this assessment is typically completed within 30 days of enrollment to the program. The MAPP team then provides specific recommendations for the types of services and supports that could be most helpful for the youth and family based on results of this assessment. If appropriate, families may opt into the second phase of MAPP programming, which can include individual therapy, crisis therapy, parent coaching, educational/healthcare advocacy, and/or case management. MAPP team members may also provide standalone or ongoing consultation to practitioners working with the youth to build capacity of these providers to respond to the specific needs of youth at risk for violence based on grievances and/or beliefs.

The Boston Children’s MAPP team is housed in the Outpatient Psychiatry Service and is now accepting referrals from schools, law enforcement, probation, community healthcare providers, and families in need. All referrals will be reviewed to determine if the individual is eligible for services. Referrals can be made directly to MAPP@childrens.harvard.edu or by calling Outpatient Psychiatry at 617-355-6680. When calling, referees will need to press 1 for “new patients” and press 1 again for the “MAPP Clinic.”

As part of the TCRC’s ongoing work to help develop and train community-based threat assessment and mental health support, we have focused on schools as a logical place where this work can happen. To better understand the challenges that exist in implementing school-based threat assessment teams, we have partnered with the University of Illinois Chicago’s Center for Global Health to investigate barriers and facilitators to school-based threat assessment and management teams in three states: Massachusetts, Illinois, and Connecticut.  This project is funded by the Department of Homeland Security and will focus on identifying barriers and facilitators to developing and implementing threat assessment and management programs across urban, rural, and suburban school districts in the three states. Data collection will include interviews and focus groups with experts, school staff, parents, and students, and will inform best practices and guidance for the establishment, implementation, and sustainability of effective TATs that include stakeholders at the school and administrative level. This project will also involve the analysis of existing state-level policies and existing school climate data across all districts to examine levels of perceived school belongingness, experiences of bullying, and trust in school staff.

In 2024, the TCRC received funding through a DHS CP3 Innovation grant to develop best practice guidelines for working with youth at risk for targeted violence and terrorism. In collaboration with subject matter experts from around the country, we are working to compile the best scientific evidence and practitioner guidance on recommended approaches to mental health assessment and treatment of youth presenting with risk for targeted violence or terrorism. Guidelines will be available in 2026.