Evolution of a Client‐Level Dataset: 20 Years of National Child Traumatic Stress Network Data Collection

Authors

• C. A. Purbeck, Duke UniversityFollow
• A. N. Cooke, Duke University
• L. J. Liang, University of California, Los Angeles
• C. Smith, Duke University
• J. Staten, Duke University
• J. Epstein, University of Missouri-St. Louis
• H. B. Hodgdon, Justice Resource Institute, Needham
• Jessica Eslinger, University of KentuckyFollow
• A. Wells, Children's Research Triangle, Chicago
• J. Goodrich, Duke University
• T. H. Bethel, Duke University
• K. Willett, Duke University
• Y. C. Fu, UCLA
• J. A. Fairbank, Duke University
• E. C. Briggs, Duke University

Abstract

Objectives: For 20 years, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network's (NCTSN) data collection efforts have been a central mechanism for Clinical Quality Improvement (ClQI). The NCTSN is a federally funded initiative in the United States composed of programs dedicated to raising the standard of care and increasing access to services for children and families who have experienced traumatic events.

Methods: These efforts span three initiatives: the Core Data Set (CDS), the Clinical Improvement through Measurement Initiative (CIMI) Measurement Based Care (MBC), and CIMI Data Sharing (CIMI-DS) that collected and analyzed client-level data to improve care for children and families served at participating sites. Across the initiatives, information (e.g., behavioral assessments, trauma exposure, standardized clinical measures) was collected from nearly 26,500 participants at 91 sites.

Results: Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), we discuss the impact of external forces such as funding, policies, and societal changes and emphasize the importance of collaboration, technology, and flexible data collection methods in advancing ClQI initiatives as well as the field of child traumatic stress across decades.

Conclusions: We offer lessons learned and recommendations for future work to create large, query-able datasets across a network and insights to support use in clinical practice.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Notes/Citation Information

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. © 2026 The Author(s). International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.70070

Funding Information

Funding was supported under Grant Nos. H79SM062976 and H79SM084928 from the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views, policies, and opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the CMHS, SAMHSA, or the HHS.

Repository Citation

Purbeck, C. A.; Cooke, A. N.; Liang, L. J.; Smith, C.; Staten, J.; Epstein, J.; Hodgdon, H. B.; Eslinger, Jessica; Wells, A.; Goodrich, J.; Bethel, T. H.; Willett, K.; Fu, Y. C.; Fairbank, J. A.; and Briggs, E. C., "Evolution of a Client‐Level Dataset: 20 Years of National Child Traumatic Stress Network Data Collection" (2026). Center on Trauma and Children Faculty Publications. 1.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/ctac_facpub/1