Trauma-Informed Principles
This program will ensure training for all clinical and non-clinical staff on SAMHSA’s trauma-informed principles (SAMHSA, 2014). These will also be included in the policies and procedures manual, to set the expectation for employee/staff behaviors.
An unsafe environment can cause feelings of distress and potentially instigate re-traumatization; therefore, a safe environment will be prioritized at the mentorship workshops to ensure both students and mentors feel physically, socially, and emotionally safe. The parental workshops held in the parent home will already be a safe place for the family, however public health workers will determine whether these homes are a safe place upon the first visit, if deemed to be physically unsafe or elicit feelings of fear, then arrangements can be made to meet elsewhere with the parents for future meetings (SAMHSA, 2014).
To develop and maintain trust through transparency, public health workers will be trained to be respectful to all the students and parents they serve, which means speaking to them kindly, equally, fairly and without judgment. They should ensure schedules are set, policies and procedures verbalized and followed, expectations about the program are clear, then dedicate to these principles (SAMHSA, 2014).
Peer support in the form of mentors will be especially trained on how to create trusting, non-threatening relationships with the students. Mentors whether paid or unpaid, will be expected to act with integrity, is reliable and trustworthy. Peer engagement is a powerful tool to help with resilience building as it can provide a support network for the trauma-impacted student (Menschner & Maul, 2016) (SAMSHA, 2014).
To ensure biases stemming from “cultural, historical, and gender” issues are convened, sensitivity and competency training classes for public health workers, paid and unpaid mentors will be held by the Broward Department of Health (SAMHSA, 2014). The organization frequently holds these classes as it works to reduce and eliminate stereotypes and biases within their employees (SAMHSA, 2014).
Levels of the Social Ecological Model
While this program recognizes the importance of all four levels of the CDC social- ecological model, only the individual and interpersonal levels will be applied to the intervention process (CDC, 2021). On the other hand, public health workers utilizing the expanded ACE questionnaire to interview parents and students, will capture all four levels including community and societal level of trauma (Philadelphiaaces, 2019 & CDC, 2021). These questions will specifically examine the inner network of the family, then expand to the community and societal level to include occurrences of neighborhood violence, racism, bullying and discrimination (Philadelphiaaces, 2019).
From the individual level, public health workers will educate students identified as having high ACE scores of the impact of toxic stress on their educated mind and long-term quality of life. These students will learn that the negative experiences they are having in school may be linked to ACEs; impairment in cognitive reasoning, inattentiveness in classroom activities and lower social skills. Subsequently, interventions through the mentorship aspect of the program will serve to build the skills of resilience which will be incorporated by teaching, learning, and practicing.
At the parental or interpersonal level, the ACE questionnaire will seek to identify all 4 levels of the CDC model; personal factors, family dynamics, community security and societal constraints that may be contributing to ACE (CDC, 2021). Interventions will include education about the strongest protective factor for the student, which is the presence of families and that of a caring, stable adult. Parents with questions or those seeking further help will be connected to mental health, employment, and other related assistance programs.
Public Health Framework
The public health framework approach seeks to determine prevention strategies to health issues, instead of simply offering treatment. It serves to determine the root cause or risk factors associated with a diagnosis or health condition, then work uphill to incorporate policies for reducing exposure, informing the public and improving access to interventions (Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, 2016).
This program utilizes the public health framework by addressing parental and student ACE scores through the wider-ranging impact of poverty, education, community safety, unemployment, school setting and other implications (Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, 2016).
Primary prevention of this program serves to limit the negative effects of ACEs on the student’s educational attainment which influences eventual quality of life measures (Frey, 2017). Education to parents about the impact of ACE and the role of family protective relationships, will serve to guide future parental practices. Parents will be linked to supportive services, if necessary, to further reduce the incidence of trauma. Educators through their trainings will become ACE conscious, which can lead to a supportive and emotional learning environment for all students (Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, 2016) (NEA, 2021).
Secondary screening applies to reducing the occurrences of violent behaviors, suspensions, outbursts, and education negligence once it has already occurred. The public health counselors assigned to screen students for ACEs will connect those most impacted and at-risk for dropout, to participate in the mentorship program (Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, 2016).
Tertiary treatment will be resilience teachings for the student and then ACEs screening, training, education, and support for the parents. Treatment hopes to minimize, counter, or even reverse the negative impacts of ACEs through positive experiences and relationships (Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, 2016) (Dabell, 2018).
Comments (0)