Promoting Trauma Informed Care in Schools Table of Contents
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Riverside County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) Promoting Trauma Informed Care in Schools Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 2 Statement of Need ................................................................................................................................. 2 Purpose of this Document .................................................................................................................... 3 Understanding Trauma ............................................................................................................................. 5 Definitions ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Prevalence of Trauma ........................................................................................................................... 6 Impact on Children Exposure to Trauma ............................................................................................... 6 Brain Development ................................................................................................................................ 7 The Development of Attachment ......................................................................................................... 7 Parental Pathology or Distress ............................................................................................................ 8 The Child’s Response to Perceptions of Danger .............................................................................. 9 Variance with Developmental Age/Status ........................................................................................ 10 Long Term Outcomes ......................................................................................................................... 11 School Behaviors Associated with Trauma Experience .................................................................... 12 Symptoms of Trauma .......................................................................................................................... 13 Symptoms of Trauma in the Classroom ........................................................................................... 14 Relevance to Discipline and Delinquency ........................................................................................ 15 Screening and Assessment ................................................................................................................... 16 Consider Cultural Factors ................................................................................................................... 17 Develop an “Assessment Pathway” .................................................................................................. 18 Analyze the Data .................................................................................................................................. 20 Assessment-Based Treatment Model .................................................................................................. 21 Evidence Based Interventions ............................................................................................................... 25 Classroom and School-Based Strategies ........................................................................................ 25 Tap into Cultural Influences................................................................................................................ 28 Employ Various Counseling Strategies ............................................................................................ 29 Work with Parents and Caregivers .................................................................................................... 31 Targeted Interventions ........................................................................................................................ 34 Encourage Interagency Coordination ............................................................................................... 38 Manage Professional and Personal Stress ...................................................................................... 39 Establishing an Organizational System ................................................................................................ 42 Self-Assessment .................................................................................................................................. 42 Successful Models ............................................................................................................................... 43 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................................... 47 References ................................................................................................................................................ 47 Appendix A: Types of Trauma ............................................................................................................... 52 Appendix B: Key Terms Used Herein ................................................................................................... 56 Appendix C: Examples of Some Standardized Measurement Options ........................................... 60 Appendix D: Forty Developmental Assets ........................................................................................... 63 Appendix E: Evidence Based Interventions ......................................................................................... 65 Appendix F: Sample Questions and Activities to Consider When Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach ................................................................................................................................................... 70 Introduction Studies have demonstrated that traumatic experiences are more pervasive than many educators currently recognize (Tishelman, Haney, Greenwald O’Brien, & Blaustein, 2010). Trauma is widespread, harmful and has no boundaries with regard to age, gender, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, geography or sexual orientation. By viewing student’s academic challenges and behaviors through a “trauma lens,” educators can help children learn and thrive (Cole, Eisner, Gregory, & Ristuccia, 2013). Trauma has many definitions. The one adopted herein was generated by a panel of experts: “Individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being” (SAMHSA, 2014, p. 7). Individuals with trauma experiences are found in multiple service sectors: behavioral health, juvenile and criminal justice system, child welfare system, and our school systems. Unfortunately, these public institutions and service systems are often themselves trauma inducing (SAMHSA, 2014). As examples, consider the effect of the abrupt removal of a child from his or her family, the use of invasive procedures in the medical field, the intimidating practices used in the criminal justice system, and harsh disciplinary actions in schools. Given the variety of settings in which trauma can occur, addressing trauma requires a multi-pronged, multi-agency public health approach inclusive of public education awareness, prevention, early identification and effective trauma-specific treatment interventions (SAMHSA, 2014). The evidence is clear that, with appropriate supports and intervention, people can overcome trauma. This push for promoting trauma-informed care in schools should not be seen as a new initiative but as one that integrates well with existing initiatives. The same legal and policy conditions necessary for trauma sensitivity are also necessary for the promotion of behavioral health, bullying prevention, dropout prevention, truancy reduction, social and emotional learning, positive approaches to discipline, and others. These are all essential components of creating safe and supportive schools. Statement of Need Trauma can come in many forms. Traumatic events can include a wide range of occurrences that are experienced, learned of, or witnessed (Perry, 2007). Usually it is not the event itself but rather a response to a highly stressful experience in which a person’s ability to cope is dramatically undermined (Cole et al., 2013). Traumas can reverberate down the generations and be accompanied by poverty, isolation and physical illness. Problems can be found together (e.g., substance abuse, mental illness, family violence, child abuse and neglect). For example, many think of childhood sexual abuse as an isolated incident but it frequently coexists with other adverse circumstances in a child’s life (Gaskill & Perry, 2012). While the majority of neglected and/or traumatized children do not become violent, a malignant combination of experiences can create various challenges for a person. In traumatic situations, one experiences an immediate threat to self or to others, often followed by serious injury or harm. A person may feel terror, helplessness, or horror because of the extreme seriousness of what is happening and the failure of a way to protect against or reverse the harmful outcome. The powerful, distressing emotions go along with