Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools

A practical, accessible guide to building learning environments that ensure safety, develop regulation skills, and grow caring relationships for all students, including those who have experienced trauma.

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Give hope and help to students who experience trauma with this reader-friendly how-to guide, your springboard for building responsive, trauma-sensitive preK–12 schools. Drawing on her extensive experience as a school counselor, trainer, and mother, trauma expert Jen Alexander delivers a comprehensive framework for building a safe, supportive school environment that helps all students learn and thrive. You’ll start with an evidence-based introduction to the profound impact of trauma on a child’s development, attachment, and behavior. Then you’ll get an effective multi-tier system of support (MTSS) for developing a trauma-sensitive learning environment, including both universal strategies (Tier 1) and more intensive interventions (Tier 2 and Tier 3) for students who need more support.

Discover how to

•make five key shifts in the way you view and approach students so that you’re better equipped to support them
•work together to prioritize resilience by actively putting relationships first in your school
•implement universal instructional strategies that foster safety, connection, regulation, and learning for all students
•use special supports, supplemental instruction, and coaching when universal strategies aren’t enough
•incorporate restorative discipline practices that focus on restitution, not retribution
•create a personalized self-care plan to reduce the effects of job-related stress

With this engaging, practical guide to what works and why, your school team will gain insights and develop action plans that make a real difference in the lives of all kids, including our most vulnerable youth.

Includes practical materials:
•Creative activities for teachers
•Powerful case stories
•Sample dialogues and scripts for educators and counselors
•Reflection and brainstorming worksheets
•Templates and handouts for use with students