Trauma-Responsive Schools
Creating Trauma-Responsive Schools that Actively Support SEL Development
San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) - SWSS Department
A school culture that values and welcomes students, staff, and family members is essential for a positive school climate and sets the tone for all future behavioral and academic success. When a school is trauma-informed, a positive school climate is clearly seen, heard and felt and all responses to intervention are implemented through this awareness.
A school culture that values and welcomes students, staff, and family members is essential for a positive school climate and sets the tone for all future behavioral and academic success. When a school is trauma-informed, a positive school climate is clearly seen, heard and felt and all responses to intervention are implemented through this awareness.
Trauma responsiveness is critical for supporting students affected by trauma but also benefits the entire school community. We believe that what benefits our most vulnerable populations, benefits all. All school staff, certificated and classified, understand how to treat every student as an individual with unique circumstances.
Trauma responsiveness is critical for supporting students affected by trauma but also benefits the entire school community. We believe that what benefits our most vulnerable populations, benefits all. All school staff, certificated and classified, understand how to treat every student as an individual with unique circumstances.
When schools are trauma aware, they respond to student misconduct with an understanding of student's experiences in the surrounding community or in the student's home. Restorative school-based measures, resources, and interventions that address the needs of the student are the default response prior to taking disciplinary action. (SAMHSA)
When schools are trauma aware, they respond to student misconduct with an understanding of student's experiences in the surrounding community or in the student's home. Restorative school-based measures, resources, and interventions that address the needs of the student are the default response prior to taking disciplinary action. (SAMHSA)
Schools During/After the Coronavirus Crisis - The SEL & Trauma Connection
Schools During/After the Coronavirus Crisis - The SEL & Trauma Connection
The attention to students’ social, emotional and academic development is particularly important now, as many students and adults may have experienced extraordinary stress and trauma.
The attention to students’ social, emotional and academic development is particularly important now, as many students and adults may have experienced extraordinary stress and trauma.
Trauma is a disruption to development that is agnostic to the event. It produces alterations in mood, focus, concentration, memory, behavior, emotions, and trust. A deep understanding of how stress and trauma affect the brain and body can help guide our response—a response that needs to be comprehensive, holistic, multi-dimensional, and specific. By incorporating both SEL and an asset-based, culturally sensitive trauma-informed lens, schools can create a foundation for supporting whole-child development.
Trauma is a disruption to development that is agnostic to the event. It produces alterations in mood, focus, concentration, memory, behavior, emotions, and trust. A deep understanding of how stress and trauma affect the brain and body can help guide our response—a response that needs to be comprehensive, holistic, multi-dimensional, and specific. By incorporating both SEL and an asset-based, culturally sensitive trauma-informed lens, schools can create a foundation for supporting whole-child development.
Strategy: Design Opportunities Where Staff Can Connect, Heal, & Build their Capacity to Support Students
Strategy: Design Opportunities Where Staff Can Connect, Heal, & Build their Capacity to Support Students
Allow space for connection, listening and healing among all staff: When educators have an opportunity to engage in self-care and process their own emotions, they are more likely to co-regulate, relate, and communicate in ways that help students express and manage their emotions, make sense of their experiences, and decrease the likelihood that a stressful event becomes traumatizing. To support healing and self-care, design safe and responsive spaces for educators to build relationships, support and reinvigorate one another, and collectively process their emotions and experiences.
Allow space for connection, listening and healing among all staff: When educators have an opportunity to engage in self-care and process their own emotions, they are more likely to co-regulate, relate, and communicate in ways that help students express and manage their emotions, make sense of their experiences, and decrease the likelihood that a stressful event becomes traumatizing. To support healing and self-care, design safe and responsive spaces for educators to build relationships, support and reinvigorate one another, and collectively process their emotions and experiences.
Practices to support staff:
Practices to support staff:
Establish dedicated space, time, and agreements for staff to come together to build relationships and engage in collective healing.
Establish dedicated space, time, and agreements for staff to come together to build relationships and engage in collective healing.
Create opportunities for quick individual staff check-ins with school leaders.
Create opportunities for quick individual staff check-ins with school leaders.
Ensure any new staff are paired with existing staff members to support their welcome into the community.
Ensure any new staff are paired with existing staff members to support their welcome into the community.
Foster a culture of staff self-care. For example, ask all staff to assess their current self-care needs and develop a plan, including setting realistic boundaries around work. Engage community partners in providing selfcare activities (e.g., yoga, exercise, mindfulness). Encourage “self-care in the background,” such as different music, fragrances, or art that provide a source of stress relief.
Foster a culture of staff self-care. For example, ask all staff to assess their current self-care needs and develop a plan, including setting realistic boundaries around work. Engage community partners in providing selfcare activities (e.g., yoga, exercise, mindfulness). Encourage “self-care in the background,” such as different music, fragrances, or art that provide a source of stress relief.
Strategy: Create Safe, Supportive, and Equitable Learning Environments that Promote all Students' Social and Emotional Development
Strategy: Create Safe, Supportive, and Equitable Learning Environments that Promote all Students' Social and Emotional Development
Identify and implement a comprehensive system of support for student with additional needs: All students share the experiences of the pandemic, racial injustice, and economic crisis. However, their personal responses to these events can vary widely depending on their individual circumstances. Contributing factors include their age as well as their access to resources and the health and well-being of their family and friends. Adults will need to understand how these kinds of trauma and stress impact students, and affect the brain and body—potentially disrupting development and affecting mood, focus, concentration, memory, behavior, emotions, and trust.
Identify and implement a comprehensive system of support for student with additional needs: All students share the experiences of the pandemic, racial injustice, and economic crisis. However, their personal responses to these events can vary widely depending on their individual circumstances. Contributing factors include their age as well as their access to resources and the health and well-being of their family and friends. Adults will need to understand how these kinds of trauma and stress impact students, and affect the brain and body—potentially disrupting development and affecting mood, focus, concentration, memory, behavior, emotions, and trust.
Resources for Staff:
Resources for Staff:
How do Trauma - Responsive Schools Operate
How do Trauma - Responsive Schools Operate
Handout created by SWSS Department : Jamnia Allen
Handout created by SWSS Department: Jamnia Allen
Handout created by SWSS Department: Jamnia Allen
The Four S's - Supporting the Safe Instructional Environment
The Four S's - Supporting the Safe Instructional Environment
Creating an Intellectually, Emotionally and Physically Safe Environment through Neuroscience:
Creating an Intellectually, Emotionally and Physically Safe Environment through Neuroscience:
Soothe the Survival Brain
'Speak' to the Emotional Brain
Strengthen the Thinking Brain
Stand with the Student
Handout created by SWSS Department: Jamnia Allen
Keeping the Vibe - Creating & Maintaining Relationships
Keeping the Vibe - Creating & Maintaining Relationships
1. Always Empower, Neve Disempower
2. Provide Unconditional Positive Regard
3. Maintain High Expectations
4. Check Assumptions, Observe and Question
5. Be a Coach, have More to Offer
6. Provide Guided Opportunities for Voice and Choice
Additional Resources:
Additional Resources:
ACEs INfographic
ACEs INfographic
Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators - NCTSN
Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators - NCTSN
SWSS Department: S. Johns, J. Patrick - 2020
Trauma Fliers/Handouts created by SWSS Department STAR Team - Jamnia AllenImages obtained from Google Images and/or created by Johns/Patrick