Susan Jones, Behavior Specialist San Juan Unified School District ACES Connection Trauma Informed Care in School Settings

 Overview: What Is Trauma?  What are ACES  Staff/Student Self Awareness  PBIS  Restorative Practice  Behavior 101  TIC Today

Stress

Health Issues  Obesity  Cancer  Asthma  Heart Disease  Hypertension Social/Behavior Issues  Drug use  Smoking  Poverty  Incarceration  Depression  Unemployment What if our greatest public health problems were actually “symptoms” of a bigger and deeper problem? ACEs101.DJUSD.May 14,2015

 Drs. Vincent Felitti & Dr. Robert Anda  17,000 Kaiser patients in San Diego  Surveyed about childhood maltreatment and family dysfunction  Specific correlation between adverse experiences in childhood and adult health outcomes  Survey created to determine ACE score  Jane Stevens, ACES Connection, ACES Too High Adverse Childhood Experience Study, ACES

 Social and Emotional Learning  PBIS  Restorative Practices  Meditation and Yoga  Think of a Teacher… Staff and Student Connection

 This movement asks not what is wrong with our youth, but rather what has happened to them. (Restorative)  The paradigm is shifting from punishment and blame to a deeper commitment to understanding and healing the underlying causes of aberrant behavior. Change in Ourselves ACEs101.DJUSD.May 14,2015

Three Part Model for Understanding Behaviors Impacted Systems of meaning: Assumption of Danger Physiological and Behavioral Response: Safety Seeking/Need Fulfillment Interference from Developmental Challenges: Reliance on Alternative Adaptations Copyright WSU AHEC CLEAR Center What is beneath the behavior? Safety Seeking Needs Fulfillment

The fundamental hypothesis of Restorative Practices is:  Human beings are happier, more cooperative, and productive, and more likely to make positive changes in their behavior when those in positions of authority do things with them, rather to them or for them. Restore and Re-Connect

We teach, when a student (or person) exhibits interfering behavior, a skill deficit is present. There is a reason for the students behavior..other than what you’re thinking. Why does this behavior exist?

Attention Control Gain/Access Avoid/Escape Function of Behavior

If you are human… Feelings, Create Thoughts, which creates Behavior

When asked to share with me what you have learned these last few weeks when learning about how your brain and body respond to all levels of stress after a THREE week lesson on TIC/ACES: I learned when things happen at home they tend to come out at school. When there’s times I can’t deal with it. When the Teacher asks me ‘What’s happening? Or What happened?’, it means to me the Teacher cares about what is happening. When the Teacher tells me to go to the office, Vice Principal, Counselor, call home, Buddy Room, that means the Teacher doesn’t really care about you.” Student voice

When asked to share “What have you learned the last few weeks?” “I learned that our health, students health that’s not taken care of makes us be out of class, then come back in, then we are behind and then our health is still not taken care of and our academics are not taken care of either.” “I learned that our health, students health that’s not taken care of makes us be out of class, then come back in, then we are behind and then our health is still not taken care of and our academics are not taken care of either.” Student voice

When asked to share “What have you learned the last few weeks?” “I learned I have had anxiety for a long time. Now I understand it is trauma. It meant to me a lot of absences, less money for schools. The school system can be more peaceful being Trauma Informed instead of sending me to the counselor, where they don’t know what to do with anxiety or trauma, that’s not their job, but it is where we are sent.” Student voice

When asked to share “What have you learned the last few weeks?” “I learned that the teachers I have who have always asked me “What happened?” when I am having a hard time really helps, I trust them and I know they care about me.” Student voice

When asked to share “What have you learned the last few weeks?” “I learned being Trauma Informed makes us feel like we aren’t doing something wrong and makes me feel comfortable enough to speak.” Student voice

When asked to share “What have you learned the last few weeks?” “I learned that Teachers can calm us, or not. They have a choice.” Student voice

22 Copyright WSU AHEC CLEAR Center 2013 Relationships  Trauma results primarily from disrupted relationships  Focus on relationship as the vehicle for life success  Attachment key to well- being across the life span  Increase in academic achievement and decrease in office discipline referrals, suspension and expulsion

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports International Institute for Restorative Practices MindUp Curriculum Scholastic Brene Brown Brandon Burchard Motivatinal Manifesto ACES Connection Yolo Resilience Network Sacramento County ACES

Thank you