Franklin April 30th

1. Franklin April 30th

2. Long Term Goal • Develop systems of support for all students, integrated with tiered academic and behavioral framework to reduce barriers to learning and improve academic achievement.

3. Today’s Outcomes Be able to articulate the “Why” of MBI Develop understanding of how trauma affects student learning Critically review MBI classroom activities to date Develop strategies to improve classroom teaching of procedures and routines

5. Why Video Activity after Why Video?

6. The RTI/MBI Process: A System that Supports Academic and Behavioral Success Academic Systems Behavioral Systems • Intensive, Individual Interventions • Individual Students • Assessment-based • High Intensity • Of longer duration • Intensive, Individual Interventions • Individual Students • Assessment-based • Intense, durable procedures • Targeted Group Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • High efficiency • Rapid response • Targeted Group Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • High efficiency • Rapid response • Universal Interventions • All students • Preventive, proactive • Universal Interventions • All settings, all students • Preventive, proactive Any Curriculum Area 1-5% 1-5% 5-10% 5-10% Students 80-90% 80-90%

7. Our Challenge… • Low intensity, low fidelity interventions for behavior/emotional needs • Habitual use of restrictive settings (and poor outcomes) for youth with disabilities • High rate of undiagnosed MH problems (stigma, lack of knowledge, etc) • Changing the routines of ineffective practices (systems) that are “familiar” to systems

8. What We Found • Schools were over identifying students of color and poverty • Up to 80% of SLD students are there because they haven’t learned to read • Students in Special Education: • Have less exposure to regular ed. curricula and have fewer regular ed. friends • Academic achievement is no better than like, non-identified peers • Few ever close the achievement gap, even fewer exit • Placement in Special Education is a life altering event

9. Why are Children from Poverty More Likely to Struggle in School? Low SES: 130,000 words 125,000 more instances of negative feedback Middle SES:26,000,000 words 100,000 more instances of encouraging feedback High SES: 45,000,000 words 56,000 more instances of encouraging feedback

10. Trauma and ARC…

11. What is Trauma? “An exceptional experience in which powerful and dangerous events overwhelm a person’s capacity to cope.” (Fitzgerald & Groves) Not an event, but a response to a stressful experience, where one’s ability to cope and adapt is overwhelmed and feelings of helplessness and terror are generated

12. Acute vs. Complex Trauma • Acute Trauma: • “A single traumatic event that overwhelms a child’s ability to cope.” (Fitzgerald and Groves) • Complex Trauma • The experience of multiple or chronic and prolonged, developmentally adverse traumatic events, most often of a personal nature (sexual or physical abuse, family violence, war, community violence) and early life onset. • These exposures often occur within the child’s care giving system (Spinazzola, et al)

13. A Range of Traumatic Situations Automobile accidents Life-threatening illness Witnessing violence Natural disasters Terrorism Physical or sexual abuse Neglect Abandonment Death or loss of a loved one Bullying Living in a chronically chaotic environment Military deployment Substance abuse in caregivers Depression or mental health disorder in CG Intergenerational trauma Historical trauma

14. Childhood Traumatic Stress • “ Childhood traumatic stress occurs when children and adolescents are exposed to traumatic events or traumatic situations, and when this exposure overwhelms their ability to cope with what they have experienced.” (National Child Traumatic Stress Network) • It occurs because the event(s) pose(s) a serious threat to: • The individual’s life or physical integrity • The life of a family member or close friend • One’s surrounding environment

15. Traumatic Stress • Can trigger the fight, flight, or freeze response • Involves terror, helplessness, and/or horror • Responses include physical sensations -- rapid heart rate, trembling, sense of being in slow motion

16. Trauma Symptoms Feelings of guilt Low self-esteem Depression Emotional and psychological numbing Rumination of the trauma Physical symptoms Identify with the primary victim Rage/Anger Unable to differentiate Affect of others Self destructive behaviors Substance abuse Hypervigilant state Dissociation Sense of helplessness/hopeless- ness resulting in suicidal ideation Belief in early death

17. Trauma a Fact of Life 1 out of 4 children who attend school has been exposed to a traumatic event

18. Resilience • Variables that buffer children from adversity • Optimistic temperament • Intellectual aptitude • Social competency • Secure attachments • Living in supportive families and safe communities Research has shown that 2/3 of children who experience adverse childhood events will grow up and “beat the odds”

19. Impact on Learning Lower GPA Increased drop-out rates More suspensions or expulsions (behavioral issues) Decreased reading ability Adversely affect memory and attention Reduce ability to focus, concentrate, organize, and process information Interfere with effective problem-solving Result in overwhelming frustration towards school Negative attitude Spacing out Diminished language and communication skills

20. Impact on Behavior in School Lack of capacity for emotional regulation Hyper-alert Focus on non-verbals of others In a constant state of “survival mode” Difficulty describing feelings and internal experiences Difficulty communicating Poor impulse control Use of aggressive behavior (bullying) Self soothing behaviors Dissociation Difficulty complying with rules Replaying of trauma

21. Bruce Perry – Child Trauma AcademyAdaptive Responses to Trauma

22. Impact on Behavior in School Avoidance Resistance Isolation Loneliness Distrust Intolerance Resentment Restlessness Behavior shifts (quiet to loud, outgoing to shy) Refuse going to school Regressive behaviors Increased use of substances Self abuse Increased risk taking

23. Looking Through the Trauma-sensitive Lens…. “Not realizing that children exposed to inescapable, overwhelming stress may act out their pain, that they may misbehave, not listen to us, or seek our attention in all the wrong ways, can lead us to punish these children for their misbehavior…If only we knew what happened last night, or this morning before she got to school, we would be shielding the same child we’re now reprimanding.”On Playing A Poor Hand Well Mark Katz WSU Area Health Education Center

24. Consider two levels of intervention: • Whole school / whole system • Developing plans and points of intervention that will support the socio-emotional functioning of all staff/students within a program • Child specific / multi-disciplinary • Developing interventions to support the functioning of a specific child as well as the adults supporting that child Curriculum - Blaustein

25. Trauma-informed Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports FEW SOME ALL

26. Universal Strategies: for ALL students Build positive, trusting relationships with students and families Create safe, nurturing environments Provide consistent, predictable routines Create clear behavioral expectations Provide specific, positive feedback often Use reinforcement systems Teach social skills Students Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Provide pre-corrects (reminders) and actively supervise Use consistent consequences that teach

27. Universal Strategies: for ALL students Model appropriate behavior Create behavior support teams Consult with mental health professionals Establish and practice emergency procedures Trauma awareness training for all staff • Self-care training and support teams for staff • Data collection – • why is the behavior occurring? • Are these interventions working?

28. Targeted Interventions: for SOME students Provide choices (build sense of control) and wait time Provide warnings before changes Intensive social skills instruction (relaxation techniques, coping, anger management, etc.) Mentorship program Behavior Support Team CBITS Check-in/Check-Out program Think about the function of the behavior - why are they doing this?

29. Individualized Interventions: for a FEW Individualized strategies to address individual symptoms (aggression, impulsivity, short attention span, social isolation, etc.) Trauma focused individualized counseling or therapy Behavior support team connects student to counselor or therapist, works with family Think about the function (why are they doing this?) – Functional Behavioral Assessment

30. ARC - 10 Building Blocks Trauma Experience Integration Dev’tal Tasks Executive Functions Self Dev’t & Identity Affect Expression Affect Identification Modulation Routines and Rituals Caregiver Affect Mgmt. Attunement Consistent Response Competency Self-Regulation Attachment Blaustein & Kinniburgh, 2010; Kinniburgh & Blaustein, 2005

31. Attachment • Overarching goal: Creation of a safe environment and safe relationships that are able to support children in meeting developmental, emotional, and relational needs.

32. Caregiver Affect Mgmt. Caregiver Affect Management • The Main Idea: Support the child’s caregiving system – whether parents or professionals – in understanding, managing, and coping with their own emotional responses, so that they are better able to support the children in their care. Blaustein & Kinniburgh 2010; Kinniburgh & Blaustein 2005

33. The Trauma Cycle Blaustein & Kinniburgh 2010; Kinniburgh & Blaustein 2005

34. Put on your oxygen mask first • To step out of the cycle, caregivers must first regulate their own emotional experience. • Keeps us calm • Models effective coping • Helps us respond instead of react

35. Examining Our Attitudes about Challenging Behaviors • What behaviors push your buttons? • How do these behaviors make you feel? • How does this impact your relationship with a child and his/her family?

36. Thought Control Calming Thoughts “This child is testing to see where the limits are. My job is to stay calm and help him learn better ways to behave.” “I can handle this. I am in control. They have just learned some powerful ways to get control. I will teach them more appropriate ways to behave.” Upsetting Thoughts “That child is a monster. This is getting ridiculous. He’ll never change.” “I’m sick of putting out fires!”

37. Thought Control Upsetting Thought “I wonder if the corner grocery is hiring?” “He ruins everything! This is going to be the worst year of my career.” Calming Thoughts “I feel undervalued right now – I need to seek support from my peers and supervisor.” “Having her in my class is going to be a wonderful Professional Development experience.”

38. Reframing Activity In pairs : • See Handout 1.3 • Read the four examples listed and generate two to three other challenging behaviors and how you might reframe each one. • In reframing the challenging behaviors, do not come up with solutions but rather restate the behaviors to make them more manageable. • Be prepared to share your ideas with the large group.

39. How do we increase our ability to regulate? • Psycho-education and depersonalization • Identifying difficult situations • Self-monitoring skills • Self-care and support Blaustein & Kinniburgh 2010; Kinniburgh & Blaustein 2005

40. Normalize and Depersonalize • Normalize caregiver response to difficult behaviors – we feel what we feel • Depersonalize youth trauma response • Provide and seek psychoeducation about: • Adaptive nature of behaviors • Understanding function of child behavior • Understanding and recognizing triggers (and differentiating this response from opposition, manipulation, etc.) Blaustein & Kinniburgh 2010; Kinniburgh & Blaustein 2005

41. Understanding Youth Behaviors The Human Danger Response • The body’s alarm system • The normative danger response • The danger response and arousal • The overactive alarm • What triggers the alarm? • How do you know a child has been triggered? Blaustein & Kinniburgh 2010; Kinniburgh & Blaustein 2005

42. Identifying Difficult Situations • Consider the following with all adults • How are you coping? What sustains you in your work and what feelings do you find harder? • Are there particular vulnerable areas? • How do you know when you are modulated versus on edge? • What other types of things affect your ability to stay centered (i.e., external pressures, lack of sleep, etc.)? Blaustein & Kinniburgh 2010; Kinniburgh & Blaustein 2005

43. Build Self-Monitoring Skills • Build self-monitoring skills: Work with adults to notice their own typical responses to difficult situations • Body: What cues does the body give? Notice more routine body cues, as well as warning signs for “losing control” or hitting a danger point • Thoughts: What are adult’s automatic thoughts in the face of difficult situations? Do they….blame themselves? Worry about their choices? Focus on what the child is not doing? Compare the child to other kids? • Emotions: What does adult feel in the face of these thoughts? How strongly? • Behavior: What do you do in challenging situations? Withdraw? Become punitive? Freeze? Learn to recognize behavioral coping strategies. Blaustein & Kinniburgh 2010; Kinniburgh & Blaustein 2005

44. Self-Care and Support • Each caregiver should have a “self-care” plan, including an individual “tool-box” • Pay attention to both in-the-pocket techniques and more involved self-care • Individual Level Examples: • Deep breathing • Muscle relaxation/stretching/neck rolls • Distraction: shifting off of unproductive thoughts • Take a break – time out • Individual “mantra” • Preventative: ongoing self-care plan • Group Level: • Self-care forums (i.e., exercise group, yoga groups) • Fun group activities • Teacher-to-teacher support Blaustein & Kinniburgh 2010; Kinniburgh & Blaustein 2005

45. Supporting Staff • Pay attention to affect management/behavioral response at both the individual staff and systemic levels • Normalize staff response to difficult behaviors; remind yourself and others that feeling emotion in response to your students is NORMAL and EXPECTED • Consider the following: • Forums for routine communication among staff • Incorporation of trauma concepts into student discussion • Routine processing of difficult situations (from perspective of staff support, as well as child) • Building mastery through experiential skill-building • Acknowledge vicarious trauma; build forums to address • Team building • Fun Blaustein & Kinniburgh 2010; Kinniburgh & Blaustein 2005

46. If We Don’t Intervene CA, AZ and IN will plan to budget building another jail cell for every child not reading on the 4th grade level when tested. Paul Schwatz, Principal in Residence, U. S. Dept. of Education

47. MCPS Counseling Grant • Support your school in strengthening and improving on-going practices… • Hire 1 Counselor and 2 Social Workers • Partner with University Psychology, Social Work and Counseling Departments • Train MCPS and agency CSCT staff in evidence based practices that tie in to ongoing MBI activities • Train MCPS and CSCT staff to increase parent and community involvement by implementing the Wraparound model

48. Expected Outcomes? • Improved communication! • Familiar with one another’s approaches • Increasing caregiver involvement with our team • Project website—a place for resources and communication • Connect with Family Resource Center activities Meet the behavioral and mental health needs of all students using culturally appropriate, best practices! • Train-the-trainer model Decreased Office Discipline Referrals and Improved Academic Performance • Effective continuum of supports for struggling students • Effective Classroom Management and Routines • Support for all students

50. More about Social-Emotional Learning curriculum at Tier 1…for all students.. • Prevention that targets all students in the school: • A school-wide program that fosters safe and caring learning environments, engage students, are culturally aware and develop a connection between school, home, and community Tier 1 strategies should reflect the needs of OUR student population • Franklin has a higher need population Tier 1 may need Tier 2 strategies • Tier 1 strategies can decrease the proportion of students needing Tiers 2 and 3 strategies