The Original Risking Connection Curriculum

The Risking Connection Training Program is based on Risking Connection: A Training Curriculum for Working with Survivors of Childhood Abuse (Saakvitne, Gamble, Pearlman, & Lev, 2000). The curriculum, originally written for adults, grew out of a successful lawsuit by consumer survivors in the State of Maine whereby a consent decree required the development of a curriculum and training program to train public mental health workers about trauma sensitive services.

The states of Maine and New York contracted the services of the Sidran Institute and the Trauma, Research, Education and Training Institute (TREATI) to develop the curriculum. Since it publication, the RC Training has been adapted to a wide variety of professional groups including child-serving professionals, foster parents, faith leaders, domestic violence professionals, and primary care physicians.