My grant proposal topic was to implement the Miss Kendra program in 10 of Alachua County, Florida’s elementary schools. Miss Kendra's program is engages students in direct discussions of sensitive subjects involved in ACEs. It aims to provide open classroom discussions where children can learn that they can find the help they need when they talk about their experiences. By sharing their burdens and worries, communication skills are strengthened early before they need to communicated through symptoms or negative behaviors.
SAMHSA’s trauma-informed principles will serve as a framework and guide for this project. The first principle that this program will utilize is safety. Program coordinators and school staff will ensure a safe and welcoming environment for students to feel comfortable when learning about sensitive topics. The second principle that will be utilized is trustworthiness and transparency. Once the schools implement the program, there will be three trainer site visits in the first year to establish ongoing collaboration. There will be close monitoring of the program’s effectiveness and integrity by specialized staff working in the schools. Lastly, the empowerment, voice, and choice principle is at the center of this program. The Miss Kendra program utilizes a person-centered, strengths based approach in their work. There will be initial training sessions for teachers and staff conducted on-site by a Miss Kendra program specialist (SAMSHA, 2014).
Of the CDC socioecological model, at the individual level, students will learn and reinforce how they should be respected and treated, as well as communication skills for when their personal boundaries are crossed. At the interpersonal level, this program provides open classroom discussions and tools for relationship building with peers and caregivers. At the organizational level, these transformative experiences benefit the capacity for academic work, therefore positively impacting school culture. In other schools adopting this program, it has been reported that office referrals, suspensions, and incidences of school fights have plummeted drastically. The school atmosphere becomes an effective learning environment for everyone, including teachers and staff (CDC, 2019).
A public health framework is utilized as it aims to reduce the impact of ACEs in the target audience as well as improve resilience and communication skills. This program is being conducted on a tertiary prevention level, as through the program, students are identifying ACEs in their own lives but also being empowered with the confidence and resources to prevent the negative health impacts of the ACEs experienced. Through the bi-weekly letters to “Miss Kendra”, the therapists reading the letters will be able to recognize any particular students who may need more attention, and the teachers/school staff will address issues accordingly. The transformative ability of this program impacts students’ emotional and academic development. This program underscores that a child’s wellbeing and success in school is cultivated through understanding that their learning environment is safe and a place in which they can received support. This provides a more successful trajectory for the student’s future life, creating a healthier and happier individual overall.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019). The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violencepr...dc.gov%2Fviolencepre vention%2Foverview%2Fsocial-ecologicalmodel.html
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. Retrieved from https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma14-4884.pdf.
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