For Linda Duran, the need for a grief and loss support group emerged when students in her school had already experienced tragedy. For 22 years, her group “Dealin’ with the Healin’” helped children heal from the pain and trauma of death, illness, family loss, and more. She was even able to help faculty members dealing…
Fall is in full-swing, and hopefully a sense of “normalcy” to the school year has set in. It’s a welcome feeling for many families! There is a growing movement across our nation that parents may not be aware of. It’s the concept of having trauma-informed and resilient classrooms. Parents may have lots of questions around…
Trauma affects us all. Whether it comes from our own experiences, or we feel the impact vicariously, chances are that negative interactions we have had in the past could have been resolved differently had all parties involved been trauma-informed. For most of us, this may be misdirected energy in a classroom, a conversation in a…
On July 11, 2019, several witnesses and committee members shared their personal stories at the Federal Committee on Oversight and Reform Hearing—and it was incredibly powerful. Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-IL) set the tone early in the hearing by recalling his own childhood experience of being in special education from kindergarten to sixth grade, and being…
Any trauma-informed practitioner should know that “stressed brains can’t learn.” While this important adage resonates in any setting, the stress referred to can vary wildly. For Beryl Cheal’s SuperGirls, the stresses of war, genocide, and displacement weigh heavy and present additional obstacles for them to overcome. Cheal is tasked with not only providing trauma-informed care,…
When my colleagues and I started talking about how to incorporate trauma-informed practices into our classrooms, we searched for other programs to visit and observe. It became apparent very quickly that, although many schools offered some trauma-informed strategies, few had fully implemented the practices. Our building, as well as our district, has spent the last…
Learning can be a real struggle for students who have experienced trauma. Starr Commonwealth can provide the training, tools and resources you need to become trauma-informed and resilience-focused so you can set your students up for success. Our courses were designed with YOU in mind – teachers, school administrators and staff, psychologists, social workers and…
Recently a teenage client asked me a question that threw me, unexpectedly. (Over the years, I’ve amassed a considerable anthology of examples on what makes them famous for this gift, so it’s not an easy thing to do these days!) I attended an engaging group session on characteristics of community and racial trauma, after which…
Traumatic events that are in the form of natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes or flooding, and human created disasters related to disease outbreak, terrorism, gun violence and other occurrences of mass violence, can have an immense impact on mental health and vulnerability to traumatic stress. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration-SAMHSA, 2019)…
When I first started working with Starr Commonwealth, I was focused on how it would help my individual students and clients, and there is no doubt in my mind it has and still is helping in an amazing way. The more familiar I became with trauma and its impact, the more I realized there was more…
It sounds so easy: take care of the student’s needs before trying to educate them… Practicing trauma informed care in a school setting is challenging. Some students have had years of being unsuccessful in school due to lifelong chronic stress and lack of support. It takes a lot of time, energy and manpower to build…
An overwhelming amount of distressing news and traumatic events are reported everyday in the media and online: natural and human-made disasters, mass shootings and interpersonal violence taking place in communities, schools, families and throughout our country and world. Many are familiar with term Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which can have a…
Although some stress is normal and even healthy, toxic stress is not. Children who have experienced a trauma often feel helpless and hopeless and live in a constant state of worry and fear. This toxic stress negatively influences every aspect of the child’s development. Some of the most common experiences among children living with toxic…
Lessons are aligned, supplies are ready and schedules are set, but of all the preparations you make each day, the most important factor in your school environment is YOU. Your attitude, energy level and ability to connect, notice and give feedback to students is what matters most, especially for children who have experienced trauma. Mirror…
Consequences provide an opportunity to learn and grow from our mistakes. They give us a chance to problem solve, model, teach, and practice ways to do better next time. The most effective consequences are natural consequences – events that occur naturally. For example: A student doesn’t do their work – they get a bad grade, A student pushes someone down…