Founded at New York University in 1997, the International Trauma Studies Program is directed by Dr. Jack Saul, on the faculty of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

The program has been enriched by the participation of a diverse student body ranging from mental health professionals, healthcare providers, attorneys, and human rights advocates, to journalists and media professionals, academicians, oral historians, and artists. Students and professionals are given the opportunity to develop and share innovative approaches to address the psychosocial needs of trauma survivors, their families, and communities.

The International Trauma Studies Program is committed to enhancing the natural resilience and coping capacities in individuals, families, and communities that have endured and/or are threatened by traumatic events - domestic and political violence, war and natural disaster. ITSP pursues its mission through providing professional training, conducting innovative research, offering technical assistance to international organizations, and helping build a global learning community in mental health and human rights