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Trauma's Impact on Education According to Dr. Freeny, there is also a direct relationship between adverse childhood experiences and academic performance. Exposure to trauma can have negative impacts on a child's development, educational performance, and ultimately, their future. "It's important for us to understand, especially as leaders of schools and districts, that mental health does matter and plays a huge role in the outcome of students within the district," she said. "There is a need to prioritize the mental health needs of students." Poor performance or behavior in school can also lead to suspensions or expulsions, which can further worsen academic participation and the student's relationships with school staff. If a trauma-informed approach is not used to address concerns with students, those with a history of trauma can potentially be triggered by interactions with administrators. Acknowledging the relationship between trauma – in all forms – and children's performance in school is the first step to creating a safer, more comfortable environment in which students can thrive. The benefits of a racial trauma-informed school include significant behavioral and academic improvements, such as fewer suspensions and expulsions. Becoming trauma-informed requires staff education and implementation of positive and culturally responsive policies and practices, leading to higher academic success rates among groups that have been historically disenfranchised. Overall, trauma-informed approaches in schools provide physical, social, and emotional safety for students. Improving the educational environment allows children not only to flourish academically, but to build stronger rapport with school administrators and staff. Understanding the impact of trauma on students as well as facilitating positive connections with them improves staff response to crisis and can help identify future challenges as they arise. "Trauma Informed Practices in Schools: Understanding Racial Trauma and Cultivating Wellness," presented by Mental Health America, explored the importance of racial trauma-informed schools from the classroom to the district level. Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the webinar featured speakers Jamie Freeny, DrPH, MPH, and Art McCoy, Ph.D. Dr. Freeny works with Mental Health America of Greater Houston, serving as director at the Center for School Behavioral Health. Dr. McCoy is the Jennings School District Superintendent Emeritus and a Saint Louis University Distinguished Fellow. Trauma affects children's cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development and can affect student learning and performance. Educating school administrators and staff on racial trauma and its impact on children empowers students to succeed by providing them with a healthier, safer learning environment. Effects of Trauma Trauma-informed approaches underscore the need to interpret behavior as a form of communication. Children often do not have the education necessary to understand that they've experienced trauma, let alone the verbiage to communicate that. To become equitable, school staff require education on recognizing signs of trauma and responding in a way that helps children instead of further hurting them. Trauma impacts the body in many ways, from physically shrinking areas like the prefrontal cortex to throwing the nervous system off-balance. Trauma ingrains old thought patterns and habits tied to the trauma in neural pathways, which only compound as more traumas occur. Neurotransmitters become vulnerable to addiction, which often co-occurs with trauma and worsens health and emotional issues. The immune system may see lower cortisol, causing unchecked inflammation, that may lead to a variety of diseases, including asthma and arthritis. Because racism is chronic, the negative impacts compound to create racial trauma. Racial trauma is experienced in daily microaggressions, in subtle and stark situations throughout a person's lifetime, and spans generations. Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) experience racism from the day they are born until they pass; the generations of family before and after them do also. This lifetime of racial trauma can have severe negative impacts, including mental health concerns, low feelings of self-worth and belonging, and physical complications like low cortisol levels being passed to children during pregnancy. Racism in health care also affects treatment of behavioral health issues. Implicit bias towards Black children, young Black boys especially, often leads to misdiagnoses or insufficient treatment. Anger, hyperactivity, and emotional outbursts may be written off as a personal attitude rather than a symptom of trauma. Failing to recognize the difference, and judging the child in the process, can create numerous problems, including discouraging the child from seeking support from adults in the future. (© PixelShot - stock.adobe.com) PAGE 07 August Issue 2021

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