Session: Building Capacity for Trauma-Informed Schools and Education Systems: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice to Promote Safe, Nurturing, and Inclusive Learning Environments for All Students (Society for Social Work and Research 24th Annual Conference - Reducing Racial and Economic Inequality)

2 Building Capacity for Trauma-Informed Schools and Education Systems: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice to Promote Safe, Nurturing, and Inclusive Learning Environments for All Students

Schedule:
Thursday, January 16, 2020: 1:30 PM-3:00 PM
Marquis BR Salon 7, ML 2 (Marriott Marquis Washington DC)
Cluster: Adolescent and Youth Development (ADOL)
Symposium Organizer:
Todd Herrenkohl, PhD, University of Washington
Discussant:
Lynette M. Renner, PhD, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Research shows that children's exposure to chronic stress and adversity can have serious and lasting consequences. Symptoms of traumatic stress linked to various forms of adversity, such as being abused, witnessing violence, or being deprived of basic resources, are evident in many children who struggle in schools and informal learning environments, but efforts to respond to these children has been slow and insufficient. Still, schools remain a vitally important context in which to embed prevention and interventions strategies that can support the needs of traumatized children. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), trauma-informed schools (TIS) are those in which teachers, social workers, and other professionals (1) recognize and respond to the impact of traumatic stress; (2) provide for the physical and psychological safety of children; (3) respond by integrating knowledge about trauma into the school system; and (4) avoid engaging in actions that can re-traumatize those who are vulnerable. Related practices include screening students for trauma exposure and using evidence-based and culturally responsive assessment and intervention strategies to treat the effects of trauma in children requiring immediate care. Additionally, NCTSN recommends that organizations prevent and attend to the symptoms of secondary trauma in professionals who work with vulnerable children. In this symposium, we explore these different principles and dimension of TIS by reviewing current models of practice in schools and assessing the degree to which these models conform to guidance provided by NCTSN and other organizations (e.g., Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA). We also provide examples of select models and practices that align with TIS principles, including those in arts-based programming. Additionally, we explore how trauma training for teachers and other school staff can enhance efforts at self-care, reduce staff attrition; and strengthen school experiences for vulnerable youth.
* noted as presenting author
"Everybody Is an Artist": Arts-Based Education and Formerly Incarcerated Young Black Men's Academic and Social-Emotional Development in an Alternative School
Charles Lea, PhD, University of Houston; Angela Malorni, MPA, University of Washington; Tiffany Jones, PhD MSW MFT, Colorado State University
Trauma-Informed Programs Based in Schools: Linking Concepts to Practices and Assessing the Evidence
Todd Herrenkohl, PhD, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; Sunghyun Hong, BS, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; Bethany Verbrugge, BA, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
The Impact of a Trauma Informed Teaching Intervention on Teachers and Other School Support Staff in Alternative Education Settings: A Teacher Retention Strategy
Angelique Day, PhD, University of Washington; Lori Vanderwill, MSW, University of Washington; Beverly Baroni, PhD, Clara B. Ford Academy; Shantel Crosby, PhD, University of Louisville
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