Ten Trauma-informed Strategies to Improve School Culture and Foster Supportive Discipline

1. Ten Trauma-informed Strategies to Improve School Culture and Foster Supportive Discipline Dr. Charlene Myklebust, Psy.D. Midwest Trauma Informed Schools Conference Kahler Apache Hotel Rochester, MN ckmyklebust@gmail.com Proedpal.com (CEU’s for educators) 11-16-17

2. Learning Outcomes for Today Learn ten strategies to improve school culture and foster supportive discipline: 1) Savvy and evidence-based teaching strategies 2) Social Emotional Learning (SEL) 3) Special education related services 4) Regular education mental health models 5) Adaptive trauma-sensitive change on the part of adults e.g. The Wisconsin Model 6) SW-PBIS 7) School climate assessment and corresponding adjustments 8) Restorative Practices/Restorative Justice 9) Positive adult child relationships 10) Teach, don’t punish (no exclusionary practices except for emergencies)

3. Six Savvy Brain-based Teaching Strategies • Create Opportunities for Movement 2. Activate Emotional States 3. Plan Optimal Physical Environments 4. Manage the Social Brain 5. Motivate and Engage Students 6. Employ Strategies for Boosting Memory and Recall

4. Social Emotional Learning Wheel

5. Outcomes of Social Emotional Learning Programs Decrease in: Disciplinary actions and conduct problems (9 %) Decrease in: Aggressive behaviors Emotional distress (10%) Increase in: Achievement scores (11%) Prosocial Behavior (9%) Positive Attitude toward school (9%) SEL Skills ( 22%)

6. Mind Up Curriculum (CASEL endorsed) Mind UP SEL Curriculum (CASEL endorsed)

7. Evidence-based School Mental Health Models • School/agency voluntary collaboration (agency has strong ties to school) • DHS school-linked grant models • School is a DHS-certified CTSS provider • Co-located agency (no DHS grant) • IEP Related Services • Independent consultant hired by the school district

8. CTSS Certification Providers must be able and certified to deliver the core services of: • Psychotherapy • Skills training • Crisis assistance • Treatment plan development and review • Administering and reporting standardized measures In addition, providers may be certified to provide: • CTSS day treatment • Mental health behavioral aide service

9. Mental Health Professionals Mental health professionals who can provide CTSS: • Licensed Psychologist (LP) • Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) • Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) • Psychiatry or an Osteopathic Physician • Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) • Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (NP) • Tribally approved mental health care professional who meets the standards in Minnesota Statutes, section 256B.02, subdivision 7, paragraphs (b) and (c), and who is serving a federally recognized Indian tribe.

10. Co-located Agency (no DHS Grant) • If a school does not have a co-located agency partner that received a DHS grant, the school may still invite an agency to co-locate within the school building. • Some schools offer therapy meeting spaces and use of a phone at a minimal cost to the agency. • Sometimes local family service and children’s mental health collaboratives and/or other grantors provide funding for ancillary expenses. • Safe Schools funding may be used for these purposes.

11. Case Scenario • Alecia has a high ACE score and has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. She has an I.E.P. for an Other Health Disability (OHD). • She exhibits test anxiety, including panic attacks, in math class and consistently fails math exams. • She could receive the following accommodations: Testing in a separate room. Untimed testing Headphones during testing School social work support to learn relaxation strategies Co-located mental health treatment for anxiety 4. And?

12. IEP Related Services • Related Services are defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) as “transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education.” • The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) provides information and resources to assist related service personnel to meet the needs of students receiving special education services.

13. IEP Related Services that are Mental Health Oriented • Counseling services • Early identification and assessment of disabilities • Interpreting services • Medical services (for diagnostic or evaluation purposes) • Occupational therapy • Orientation and mobility services • Parent counseling and training • Psychological services • Therapeutic recreation • Rehabilitation counseling • School nurse services (e.g. dispensing medication) • Social work services

14. Inextricably Intertwined When the child needs related services in order to benefit from special education programming, the need is referred to as “inextricably intertwined” with the ability to make progress according to the I.E.P. The related services are sometimes due to mental health needs and can even include parent training.

15. Intermediate District 287/District Mobile Response Team • Provides guidance and training and modeling of restorative practices • Respond to district crisis calls, debrief, consult and problem solve situations involving a behavioral, mental health, or chemical health • Meets with staff after escalated student episodes to provide coaching and guidance on future strategies that could improve the way situations are handled • Assists in planning, organizing, and implementing staff development and training in best practices in mental health • Develops proactive practices and procedures for de-escalating students • Collaborate with instructional, support and ancillary personnel in problem solving complicated student issues • Collaborates with co-located mental health and outside services

16. Technical & Adaptive Change ADAPTIVE • May conflict with long-held beliefs and can threaten people’s sense of identity, which may lead to resistance • Requires changes in values, beliefs, roles, relationships and approaches to work • “Solutions” require experiments and new discoveries; they can take a long time to implement and cannot be implemented by edict • “Addressing problems for which they don’t yet know the solutions” -Heifetz and Linsky (2002)

17. Technical Change • “People putting in place solutions to problems for which they know the answers” • Often requires change in only a few places in an organization • Can be solved by an authority or expert • May often be implemented quickly - even by edict • Tends to address symptoms, not the real underlying problems

18. Adaptive Change Implement trauma-informed practices such as The Wisconsin Model for Trauma-Sensitive Learning (free training modules) https://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/mental-health/trauma/modules These changes are ADAPTIVE because they require educators to change teaching methods and mindsets.

19. Example: A person suffering with high cholesterol is prescribed Lipitor. This is a TECHNICAL CHANGE. In order to change one’s lifestyle to successfully manage elevated cholesterol, ongoing and sometimes rigorous long-term changes must be made. These may involve diet, exercise, smoking habits, stress management, and alcohol consumption. This is ADAPTIVE CHANGE.

20. Trauma-Informed Education • Maximize child’s sense of safety. • Help child reduce inappropriate hyperarousal and/or dissociation. • Address impact of trauma and changes in the child’s behavior, learning, development, and relationships. • Comprehensively assess trauma experiences and their impact on development and behavior to guide services. • The Wisconsin Education Model https://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/mental-health/trauma • Coordinate services with other agencies.

21. Positive Adult-Child Relationships Disorganized Attachment by Dan Siegel Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine

22. Positive Adult-Child Relationships • Children who have a formal or informal mentor-like relationship with someone outside their home are less likely to have: • externalizing behavior problems (bullying) • internalizing problems (depression) • More likely to: • complete tasks they start • remain calm in the face of challenges • show interest in learning new things • volunteer in the community • engage in physical activities • participate in out-of-school time activities • be engaged in school.

23. Positive Adult-Child Relationships • The child is more likely to talk with parents about “things that really matter.” • Results suggest that mentor-like adults outside the home are a significant resource in promoting positive well-being for children and adolescents.

24. Developing Positive Relationships with Children • Smile at your students and call them by name. • Be at the child’s level for face-to-face interactions. • Use a pleasant, calm voice and simple language and be aware that eye contact avoidance on the child’s part may be culturally appropriate. • Provide warm, responsive physical contact. • Follow the child’s lead and interests during casual conversation and recreation time.

25. Ways to Develop Positive Relationships with Children • Help them understand your expectations by providing simple and clear explanations. • Take the time to engage children in the process of resolving problems and conflicts instead of reiterating classroom rules. • When children’s behavior is challenging and disruptive, think about where and how they might have more success and redirect them there. • Foster thoughtfulness and caring by listening to them and encouraging them to listen to others and share ideas.

26. Ways to Develop Positive Relationships with Children • Be genuine in acknowledging children for their accomplishments and efforts by clearly saying what it is they have done well. • Purposefully elevate a disconnected child’s social status by singling them out for recognition in front of their classmates. • Emotionally attune to the child and “notice” how he/she is feeling.

27. Restorative Policies and Practices

28. Restorative Policies and Practices

29. Results of Restorative Practices Research supports using Restorative Practices in schools. Restorative practices can result in: • Reductions in disciplinary referrals to principals • Reductions in suspensions and expulsions • Reductions in amount of instructional time lost to managing student behavior challenges • Improved teacher morale • Improved teacher retention • Improved academic outcomes • Reductions in disproportionate referrals of minority students.

30. Restorative Questions When addressing behavior, ask... • What happened? • What were you thinking at the time? • What have you thought about since? • Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way? • What do you think you need to do to make things right?

31. Restorative Questions When someone has been harmed, ask . . . • What did you think when you realized what had happened? • What impact has this incident had on you and others? • What has been the hardest thing for you? • What do you think needs to happen to make things right?

32. Teach, Don’t Punish If kids don’t know how to read, we teach them. If kids don’t know how to do math, we teach them. If kids don’t know how to shoot a basket, we teach them. If kids don’t know how to behave, we typically punish them. .

33. In Summary . . . It’s all about adaptive change among the adults. ALL adults in the school must have strong relationships with students. Interventions: There are many opportunities and people trained and licensed to offer tiered support. Employ evidence-based practices such as SEL, Restorative Practices, PBIS, mental health related services, and trauma-informed education.

35. Closing Q and A What squared with your thinking? What’s still circling in your head?