Trauma Informed Approaches and Education: North Shore School, Ms. Munoz, John

North Shore School was a school for children in kindergarten through high school. The school just had a major flood from a nearby river during the summer. Many families lost their homes due to the flooding. School counselors had more requests during the next fall from students needing support than they could manage. The principal reported that more student problems were also reported. The schools’ leaders knew that some of these issues were due to the trauma students suffered during the flooding. The school leaders decided that trauma-informed care practices were needed to support their students and staff.

A team of school staff assessed the knowledge of trauma-informed practices in the school, with students’ families, and in the local community. The team found that most people were not aware of how trauma can impact children. The school team set up a training about trauma-informed care with teachers and school staff. The training described how trauma can impact health, wellness, and student success. The goal was to help staff members change how they responded to student behavior. The training included ideas for building a sense of safety and trust between students and school staff. Teachers worked on ways that they could help students adjust to life after the flood. The educators learned to identify signals that some students needed more support and needed to be referred for additional counseling. The school also added skill-building programs during classes. Students learned how to cope with feelings of loss and fear. The students practiced skills for recognizing and managing their feelings related to the flood. The overall goal for the school was to establish supportive classroom and school settings. The school team also held events for families and community members. They worked with local mental health leaders to share how trauma can impact children at home and in the community.

The team also reviewed the school discipline policies. The current zero-tolerance approach was changed since it was not consistent with trauma-informed care. A local agency was contacted to increase counseling resources.

Some students needed more support to deal with trauma from the flood. Several fourth and fifth grade teachers identified a group of students who were feeling anxious and distracted. These students were causing problems during class instruction. The teachers felt that these behaviors were making it difficult for the students to complete their work and maintain friendships.

Ms. Munoz, a mental health counselor in the school, began a small group session for the students using cognitive behavior therapy. These sessions helped the students recognize their anxiety and to challenge thoughts that they had that were not helpful. The students also learned to relax when they felt worried. The students practiced their new skills in settings where they had these emotions with support from Ms. Munoz. The students monitored their own progress and celebrated their success together.

The students graduated out of the group when they no longer needed ongoing support. Ms. Munoz told her students that they could come and see her any time after they finished their small group sessions.

Some students needed more intensive and individualized support using trauma-informed care approaches. Several students had more than one traumatic event occur in their lives. Ms. Munoz and the other mental health counselors organized a team approach for each student. Team members included the child, family members, close friends, teachers, and other people who knew the person well. Together the team came up with a number of strategies. John’s trauma-informed care plan is an example. Ms. Munoz set up cognitive behavior therapy sessions with John. Ms. Munoz created a plan to share with John’s classroom teachers. The plan described what John was working on each day and how the teachers could help John practice new coping skills. At home, John’s mother prompted her son to use the new skills he was learning in his therapy sessions. John and his mother practiced each night together. John began to record his emotions and what he was feeling to share with Ms. Munoz. John’s mother also reviewed John’s progress each day. John chose how to celebrate when he met one of his personal goals.