Standardized Patient Experience

The Standardized Patient Experience (SPE) is a core experiential learning component of the curriculum. SPE provides an opportunity to engage with a realistic, developmentally appropriate, and emotionally complex scenario that unfolds across two encounters. Students apply TIC principles in simulated mental health visits conducted either in-person or via telehealth. This experiential component is designed to help students integrate foundational TIC competencies —including empathic engagement, symptom assessment, grounding techniques, collaborative care planning, and attention to safety—into practice.

Learning Objectives

The SPE provides students with a structured opportunity to:

• Apply the 12 Core Concepts of Trauma-Informed Care, including recognizing the impact of trauma, fostering safety, and promoting youth empowerment and cultural responsiveness.
• Demonstrate empathic engagement and build therapeutic rapport with an adolescent patient.
• Conduct a focused trauma-informed mental status exam (MSE) that explores presenting symptoms, emotional regulation, family context, and risk factors without re-traumatizing the patient.
• Practice sensitive administration of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS-5) or similar screening tools.
• Offer developmentally and culturally appropriate treatment options while supporting patient autonomy in decision-making.
• Discuss next steps, including safety planning, follow-up care, and referrals to trauma-specific therapy if indicated.