New Learning Collaborative Announcement
Ambit Network is pleased to announce a new Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
(TF-CBT) Learning Collaborative (LC). This LC is a part of a larger approach designed to build
a trauma-informed system of care for children and families by:

Providing therapists with a means of using standardized assessment instruments to assess
children for trauma symptomology both pre and post treatment.

Providing Master’s-level clinical students at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
with an opportunity to receive training in an evidence-based trauma treatment.

Providing treatment to children and families with a history of trauma using
TF-CBT; TF-CBT is an appropriate treatment for clients in home-based, outpatient and
residential settings.
We will accept 30 trainees at a cost of $1,200.00 per trainee payable to the University of
Minnesota by July 1, 2016. You must fill out the application available on our website:
www.ambitnetwork.org or attached to this document. To participate, clinicians must have a
masters degree or above in a mental health related field and participate as part of a team
comprised of at least one therapist and one supervisor. Preference will be given to sites that send
more than one therapist along with their supervisor. Trainees that are in the process of meeting
licensure are eligible to apply but will be selected based on the individual’s progress towards
licensure.
Teams that are interested in applying for the Ambit TF-CBT LC may participate in an
optional informational call scheduled for May 31, 1:00 pm CST. The purpose of this call is to
review components and expectations for participation in the LC and to provide time for
interested teams to ask questions and determine whether to proceed with the application process.
The call-in information for the informational session is:
Dial-In Number: +1 (571) 317-3122
Access Code: 613-017-573
Applications are due June 10, 2016. A selection decision will be made and you will be notified
by June 15, 2016. Payment will be due by July 1, 2016.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMBIT NETWORK TF-CBT LEARNING
COLLABORATIVE
AMBIT NETWORK is pleased to provide a unique training opportunity in Trauma-Focused
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) to community and mental health agencies in
Minnesota. This unique Learning Collaborative model provides the necessary infrastructure to
enable agencies and clinicians to fully implement TF-CBT with ongoing technical and
instrumental support from Ambit Network. Jennifer Wilgocki, MS LCSW will be serving as the
Nationally Certified Trainer.
ABOUT AMBIT NETWORK
AMBIT NETWORK provides training and technical assistance to agencies, therapists, social service
providers and frontline mental health workers who serve children and families exposed to
traumatic events. AMBIT NETWORK is a community-university partnership involving 14 different
private and public entities, housed in the Institute for Translational Research in Children’s
Mental Health at the University of Minnesota. Ambit is a Community Treatment and Services
Center within the National Child Traumatic Stress Network funded by the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Ambit Network benefits organizations
through technical assistance, training, evaluation, and case consultation.
About the Learning Collaborative (LC)
A Learning Collaborative is…
 A training model designed to improve the delivery of care to traumatized children and
families in your organization
 A multi-method training approach that utilizes interactive training methods, skill-focused
learning, and ongoing consultation and technical support
 A method for bringing teams together, capitalizing on shared learning and collaboration
opportunities across teams, and building a network of trained TF-CBT providers in
Minnesota
 A training that requires commitment from teams to fully participate in the process for a
minimum of 12 months
A Learning Collaborative is not…
 A one-time training event
 Individual clinician-focused
Application: Ambit Network TF-CBT Learning Collaborative Application, 2015
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About Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT)
TF-CBT is an evidence based treatment for children suffering from PTSD and trauma-related
disorders. It is a hybrid model that integrates elements of cognitive behavioral, humanistic,
attachment, family, and empowerment therapies into a treatment designed to address the unique
needs of children with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other problems related to
traumatic life experiences. This treatment model includes individual treatment components for
children ages 3-18, and their parents or primary caregivers. Several studies have demonstrated
that TF-CBT is superior to other treatments in improving children’s PTSD, depression, anxiety,
shame and behavior problems. TF-CBT has been designated a model practice by SAMHSA’s
National Registry of Effective and Promising Practices, and by the National Child Traumatic
Stress Network.
About the Trainer
Jennifer Wilgocki, MS LCSW, has been a child and family therapist for over 20 years and a
clinical supervisor for 16 years, specializing in the treatment of trauma, attachment disorders,
children in foster care, and high-risk adolescent behaviors. She is the co-author of Maybe Days:
A Book for Children in Foster Care. She is an approved trainer for Trauma-focused Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools
(CBITS), and currently serves as a trainer/consultant in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan,
Alabama, and California.
Expectations and Requirements for Interested Teams

Commitment from a minimum of one therapist and one supervisor per team/site to
participate in all LC activities over the course of the LC

Completion and submission of an Ambit Network TF-CBT LC Application and Contact
Form by June 10, 2016

Completion of the 10 hour, online TF-CBT course at www.musc.edu/tfcbt prior to the
start of the first in-person training

Attendance at in-person training sessions at the University of Minnesota – Institute for
Translational Research in Children’s Mental Health, 1100 Washington Ave S.
Minneapolis, MN
o Training 1: July 19 & 20, 2016
o Training 2: August 24 & 25, 2016

Participation by individual trainees in bimonthly consultation calls with your cohort,
including presenting at least one case for consultation with the consultant and Ambit
Network staff

Participation by designated supervisors for participating teams in monthly consultation
calls with the TF-CBT consultant and Ambit Network staff
Application: Ambit Network TF-CBT Learning Collaborative Application, 2015
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
Assessment and treatment of a minimum of 3-6 clients during the course of the LC, using
clinical assessments to monitor client outcomes and fidelity dashboards to monitor
fidelity to the model. Assessments and fidelity tools are submitted to Ambit Network for
technical assistance and evaluation.
Contact Information
Gage Matthews
Learning Collaborative Coordinator
Ambit Network
Phone: 612-624-7722
Email: tfcbt@umn.edu
Application: Ambit Network TF-CBT Learning Collaborative Application, 2015
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MN TF-CBT Learning Collaborative
Training Application
Questions and Contact Information
Dates for the Learning Collaborative: July 2016 to May 2017
Please complete the following information for consideration as a participating team.
Site Contact Information
Agency/Site Name
Name and Title of
Contact Person*
Contact Person’s
Telephone Number/
Fax Number
Contact Person’s
E-mail Address
Contact Person’s
Mailing Address
Name and Title of
Team Supervisor
Contact Telephone
Number/Fax of
Supervisor
Team Supervisor Email
* This “Contact Person” will be your site’s contact person main point person and will receive all
communications and materials regarding the TF-CBT Learning Collaborative application process.
If the supervisor is a different individual, that person will attend the supervisor calls and receive
general team information. If the supervisor has been previously trained, please contact Ambit about
accommodations.
Application: Ambit Network TF-CBT Learning Collaborative Application, 2015
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Please identify the team members who will be participating in the Learning Collaborative
(including the identified supervisor). If your organization has more than 7 identified members to
participate in the Learning Collaborative, please identify any additional team members to be part
of a waiting list.
Proposed Core Team
Members
Name. License, and Role
Email and Phone Contact Information
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Questions to Be Completed by Applicant
Application: Ambit Network TF-CBT Learning Collaborative Application, 2015
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Please answer all questions listed below. You may answer directly on this form or in a separate
document. Your completed application may NOT exceed ten printed pages.
1. Briefly describe your agency or site (including type of organization, size, client population,
types of trauma served, key referral sources, etc.). Of the number of children and families
served, approximately how many have experienced trauma and are coming to the site
specifically for trauma- focused services?
2. Describe any previous experience your agency and your TF-CBT group leaders have had
with treatments guided by a manual or with fidelity expectations.
3. Learning a new intervention and starting a new group takes extra time, planning, and
consultation. Other than sending staff to the in-person trainings, how will you provide
administrative support and change clinicians’ schedules/responsibilities in order to
accommodate for the time required to a) implement a new practice, and b) provide time for
supervision?
4. TF-CBT was designed to assist children, adolescents and their parents who have been
exposed to traumatic events, and has been found to be particularly effective in addressing
symptoms of PTSD. The TF-CBT model may not be ideally suited for children whose
primary presentation is severe or preexisting behavioral disruptions. TF-CBT has empirical
support for use with children and adolescents who have been sexually abused, multiply
traumatized, or are experiencing traumatic bereavement, domestic violence and other
traumatic life events.
When implementing a new intervention, it is always best to have a very short amount of time
elapse between the training and the first client. Will your clinicians be able to begin
implementing within 8 weeks of the first in-person training (October 2015)? How easy or
difficult will this be?
5. Do you currently have on-site case consultation supervision (as opposed to administrative
only)? Will your TF-CBT clinicians and supervisors be available for ongoing consultation
calls following the first training (clinicians: bimonthly; supervisors: monthly; some calls will
include both clinicians and supervisors)? How will staff be afforded time and access to
phones to participate in the calls?
6. Are your Core Team and other staff, as appropriate, willing to complete assessments
evaluating your implementation of TF-CBT (e.g., measures of fidelity and use of TF-CBT)
and perceptions of the Collaborative experience?
7. What are the key challenges you face in the implementation of TF-CBT and other evidencebased practices?
8. Do all proposed Core Team members have e-mail and Internet access? Do all proposed
Core Team members have access to a fax machine or scanner? If not, please explain.
 Yes.
 No. Explanation:
Application: Ambit Network TF-CBT Learning Collaborative Application, 2015
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Application Primarily Completed By:
Name:
Title:
Phone:
E-mail Address:
Submit Completed Application via E-mail only to tfcbt@umn.edu
Application: Ambit Network TF-CBT Learning Collaborative Application, 2015
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