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accessHealthNews.net
August 2025
Volume 11 | Issue No. 99
Mary Beth Taranow, a retired operating room nurse
"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 district level. Sponsored
by the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),
the webinar featured speakers Dr. Jamie
Freeny 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 & 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 can create a
healthier, safer environment for students
and empowers them to succeed.
Effects of Trauma
Trauma-informed approaches underscore
the need to interpret behavior as a
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.
READ MORE
"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, there
is a need to prioritize the mental health needs of students."
- Dr. Jamie Freeny
Director at the Center for School Behavioral Health.
