Trauma Informed, Now What?

Overview

What are Adverse Childhood Experiences and How Do They Impact Students?

In Preventing ACES – Leveraging the Best Available Evidence, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, as the potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years) such as experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect; witnessing violence in the home; and having a family member attempt or die by suicide. Additional components of a child’s environment can undermine their sense of safety, stability, and bonding; these include such things as experiencing discrimination or racism, growing up in a household with substance misuse, mental health problems, or instability due to parental separation or incarceration of a parent, sibling or other member of the household. Traumatic events in childhood can be emotionally painful or distressing and can have effects that persist for years. Factors such as the nature, frequency and seriousness of the traumatic event, prior history of trauma, and available family and community supports can shape a child’s response to trauma.

The "Pair of ACES" Tree, shown below, depicts the interrelationship of adverse childhood experiences and adverse childhood environments on health and wellbeing.

CDC has identified the following 6 strategies for preventing ACEs and reducing their deleterious effects. Schools have a role with each strategy.

Action to Become Trauma-Informed and Responsive

Traumatized 5-year-olds are three times more likely to have problems with paying attention, and two times more likely to show aggression (NEA), and students with two or more ACEs are three times more likely to repeat a grade (SAMHSA). Trauma changes children’s brains, affects their academic advancement, and has broader impacts. The following resources are provided to support educators in improving the social and emotional, health and academic outcomes of students who have experienced trauma.

Information and Training

Severe stress affects students. Understanding this is the foundation for creating trauma sensitive classrooms.

How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime | Nadine Burke Harris - YouTube
Understanding Trauma: Learning Brain vs Survival Brain - YouTube
Trauma-Informed E-Learning Course: Introduction (Lesson 1 of 13) - YouTube
Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Understanding the Traumatized Child
ACE Interface Master Trainer Program – Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services developed an infographic on the impact of ACEs on Virginia’s youth. For more information on trainings being held by ACE Master Trainers in Virginia contact Keith Cartwright, Behavioral Health Wellness Consultant at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services

Ways to Address and Reduce Trauma among Your Students

Schools can create inclusive, welcoming, healing experiences for all students, especially critical for those students who have experienced trauma:

Why We Need Trauma-Sensitive Schools - YouTube
Creating, Supporting, and Sustaining Trauma-Informed Schools: A System Framework | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools program is a school-based, group and individual intervention.  It is designed to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and behavioral problems, and to improve functioning, grades and attendance, peer and parent support, and coping skills. CBITS has been used with students from 5th grade through 12th grade who have witnessed or experienced traumatic life events such as community and school violence, accidents and injuries, physical abuse and domestic violence, and natural and man-made disasters. CBITS uses cognitive-behavioral techniques (e.g., psychoeducation, relaxation, social problem solving, cognitive restructuring, and exposure).
Mental Health - Trauma Sensitive Schools | Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
School Health Policy to Address Trauma
Stress Trauma and the Brain / Insights for Educators
Teen Sports May Protect Victims Of Childhood Trauma From Depression, Anxiety : Shots - Health News : NPR
TSA | Guidelines for developing a trauma-informed school
Trauma Informed Approaches to Classroom Management
Trauma-Informed Schools | Ohio Department of Education
Trauma-Informed Schools – Information Brief
Trauma-Sensitive Schools: A Whole-School Approach - Trauma Sensitive Schools
Safe Supportive Learning
TSA | Support for trauma-informed schools and resources for traumatic stress
Unlocking the Door to Learning – Trauma Informed Classrooms and Transformational Schools
Witnessing Overdose: What Youth Say or Do vs What they Think and Feel and How to Help

Social Emotional Learning Resources

A full section on Social Emotional Health Resources and grade level lessons and instructional resources are available on Health Smart Virginia. Resources related to the COVID-19 Pandemic are also included.

Supporting SEL is a Trauma Informed Practice (Committee for Children)
Trauma Informed Schools and Social-Emotional Learning
Social Emotional Learning Resources during COVID-19-CASEL, The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL): Provides resources and information on the coronavirus and planning for parents and caregivers, educators, and state leaders and policymakers (CASEL Resource Library).

Mental Health Resources

Mental health awareness, training, and support services are essential components of trauma-informed and trauma-responsive schools. Refer to Health Smart Virginia’s What is Mental Health? - Mental Health Wellness Training, Education, and Resources section for more information.

Additionally, with studies identifying the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on student mental health, and with schools struggling to provide mental health services, as a result of the resulting reduced in-person contact, numerous virtual mental health resources have been curated: