Trauma

• NEW - Strategies and Resources to Support Trauma-Informed Schools

  • This document describes the impact of trauma and offers strategies and resources to build trauma-informed schools that promote student well-being and safe, supportive learning environments.

• NEW - A message from Sesame Street for kids who are impacted by community violence 

• Resources in Response to the Robb Elementary School Shooting, Uvalde - Texas (NCTSN)

  • In response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde Texas, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed resources to help children, families, educators, and communities navigate what they are seeing and hearing, acknowledge their feelings, and find ways to cope together.

• Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress Resources in Response to the Mass Shootings in Buffalo, New York

  • Fact sheets from the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress on supporting children, families, responders, and leaders in response to the mass shooting in Buffalo, NY.

• Returning to School After a Crisis: A Guide to Addressing Traumatic Events at School

  • The guide is intended to support school staff when returning following a crisis. It contains information about common responses to trauma, warning signs that a student is in distress, tips for talking and working with students as they return, as well as resources for those who need mental health support.

• Resources in Response to the Wildfires in Colorado

  • In response to the recent wildfires in Colorado, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed these resources to help children, families, and communities navigate what they are seeing and hearing, acknowledge their feelings, and find ways to cope together.

• How to Help a Friend Who Lost Their Home in a Fire

  • Sonoma Magazine sonomamag.com published an article in September of 2020 that has great relevance to Coloradans today. "How to Help a Friend Who Lost Their Home in a Fire" answers the question on so many of our minds this week. A fire survivor provides 15 solid tips to guide family and friends who are at a loss of what to do. Find the article here:  https://www.sonomamag.com/how-to-help-a-friend-who-lost-their-home-in-a-fire/?gSlide=1

• Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented Schools Toolkit

  • The Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented (TR) Schools Toolkit outlines a framework for implementing trauma-informed, resilience-oriented approaches in any school or school district. The primary audience for this toolkit includes school administrators, school board members, teachers, and student support staff, parents and families, and community partners. The toolkit was developed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in partnership with the National Center for School Safety.

Colorado School Safety Resource Center Trauma Materials

• Discussions with Children about the Tornado (Oklahoma - 2013)

Disaster Assistance.gov

• Apply for federal resources to help recover and rebuild.

Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS)

• First Responder Resilience

  • Published March 2014 in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS)

  • This article highlights the First Response Resiliency program coordinated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

Mental Health First Aid Colorado

• Mental Health First Aid Colorado is a statewide, public education program committed to empowering individuals to identify, understand and respond to those in mental health and substance abuse crises.

• Mental Health First Aid training is for everybody, especially people who have a lot of contact with the general public - they are the most likely to encounter people who are suffering from emotional health problems. It's particularly helpful to police officers, primary care workers, teachers, faith communities, community leaders, human resource professionals, friends and family of people with mental illness or addiction.

• Mental Health First Aid Colorado teaches caring Colorado citizens how to recognize symptoms of mental health problems, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate treatments and other supportive help.

• Find a Class

• Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)

  • The Mental Health First Aid USA Youth Curriculum is a public education program which introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and most importantly - teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge.

• Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Resource Guide,

  • Mental Health First Aid Colorado has complied a resource guide surrounding the intersection of mental health and schools/youth development organizations.

  • Launched in 2014

National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTS)

• Back to School Resources: National Child Traumatic Stress Network

  • Resources created to highlight issues related to trauma, to explain how trauma can affect children and adolescents, and to help schools support students and families who have been impacted by trauma.

  • The materials range from basic informational fact sheets to webinars describing interventions for trauma in schools. They cover a variety of trauma types, and, are applicable for youth from the preschool to high school years.

• Care Process Model for Pediatric Traumatic Stress

  • CPM is a brief screening and response protocol guiding the identification of, and response to, traumatic stress in children seen in healthcare and other pediatric settings, such as primary care clinics and Children’s Advocacy Centers. CPM uses several different tools to look for trauma exposure (recent and remote events), suicidality and self-harm, and traumatic stress symptoms.

• Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS)

  • The Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program is a school-based, group and individual intervention. It is designed to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and behavioral problems, and to improve functioning, grades and attendance, peer and parent support, and coping skills.

  • CBITS was developed by a team of clinician-researchers from the RAND Corporation, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

  • Cognitive Behavorial Intervention for Trauma in Schools E-Book

  • Resources for school crises

  • Students and Trauma video (requires creating a free account)

• Psychological First Aid for Children & Parents

  • This Listen, Protect, Connect is a 16 page booklet that helps frame an approach to helping parents and children in times of disaster or emergencies. Produced in partnership with www.ready.gov,and The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the University of California Los Angeles, School of Public Health and Disasters and Health and Media Research Group.

National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Crisis Resources

• NASP represents school psychology and supports school psychologists to enhance the learning and mental health of all children and youth.

• Offers information for Secondary School Principals regarding Managing School Crises and PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Curriculum.

• NASP Trauma Infographic

  • This trauma-sensitive schools infographic explains the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences, characteristics of trauma-sensitive schools, and the role of the school psychologist in providing early identification and intervention services, delivering mental health supports, and contributing to positive student outcomes.

• Tips for Teachers and Parents Following School and Community Violence (Powerpoint)

• Tips for Teachers and Parents Following School and Community Violence (PDF)

• Coping with Crisis - Helping Children with Special Needs: Tips for School Personnel and Parents

• Dealing with a Death in School: Practical Suggestions for Educators

• Helping Children after a Wildfire: Tips for Parents and Caregivers

• Helping Children Cope with Crisis: Care for Caregivers

• Identifying Severely Traumatized Children: Tips for Parents & Educators

• Managing Strong Emotional Reactions to Traumatic Events: Tips for Parents & Teachers

• Responding to Wildfires: Helping Children and Families: Information for School Crisis Teams

• Responsible Media Coverage of Crisis Events Impacting Children and Youth

• Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers | en Español

• Tips for Teachers and Parents Following School and Community Violence

National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement

• Created to promote an appreciation of the role schools can serve to support students, staff and families at times of crisis and loss and to link efforts to provide trauma-related and bereavement support services within school settings.

• Serves as a resource for information, training materials, consultation and technical assistance for school systems, professional training programs, professional organizations, governmental and non-governmental agencies, communities, children's groups and projects in the areas of crisis and loss.

• Guidelines for Responding to the Death of a Student or School Staff Member

National Center on Family Homelessness (NCFH)

• The National Center on Family Homelessness is the nation's foremost authority on family homelessness. We conduct state-of-the-art research and develop innovative solutions to end family homelessness in America and give every child a chance.

National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) | en Español

• The Network is funded by the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration(SAMHSA), US Department of Health and Human Services and jointly coordinated by UCLA and Duke University. The NCTSN works to accomplish its mission of serving the nation's traumatized children and their families. Offers handouts and useful materials for school support personnel.

• Trauma and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Toolkit The Road to Recovery: Supporting Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Who Have Experienced Trauma Toolkit was developed by the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS) and the NCTSN Trauma & IDD Expert Panel, a national selection of individuals with expertise in trauma and IDD.

• Creating, Supporting & Sustaining Trauma-Informed Schools: A System Framework

  • The NCTSN System Framework for Trauma-Informed Schools provides strategic guidance in order to achieve the vision of a trauma-informed school described above. It is not a prescriptive roadmap for a one-size-fits all approach. Instead, it includes core areas that will help to focus educational system improvements and organizational changes. These core areas can be applied to each of the three intervention tiers to create a trauma-informed environment within the school system while identifying those who are at risk or might need more intensive support to address their traumatic stress or loss symptoms.

• Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom: A Resource for Educators.

• Help Kids Cope App: By UCLA helps parents talk to their kids about the disasters they may face and know how best to support them throughout - whether sheltering-in-place at home, evacuating to a designated shelter, or helping your family heal after reuniting. Available on for IOS. Help Kids Cope was a collaborative effort between the Ozark Center and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Funding provided by the Missouri Foundation for Health, the Ozark Center, Inc. and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) | Source NCTSN: https://nctsn.org/content/help-kids-cope

• Offers a 6-hour Online Training on Psychological First Aid

• Back to School Resources for School Personnel (Aug. 2013)

• Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators (2008)

• Childhood Traumatic Grief Educational Materials for Parents (2004)

• Complex Trauma Resources

• Complex Trauma: Facts for Caregivers (June 2014)

• Complex Trauma: Facts for Educators (June 2014)

• Complex Trauma: Facts for Service Providers Working with Homeless Youth and Young Adults (June 2014)

• Complex Trauma: Facts for Shelter Staff Working with Homeless Children and Families (June 2014)

• Families and Trauma (Launched - May 2014)

• Flood Trauma Information

• Helping Children with Traumatic Grief (March 2014)

• Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers (May 2014)

• Helping Youth after Community Trauma: Tips for Educators (October 2014)

• Military and Veteran Families and Children (Launched March 2014)

• Psychological First Aid for Schools

  • Psychological First Aid (PFA) Mobile for Android Devices

• Resources for Parents and Caregivers

• Resources for School Personnel

• Secondary Traumatic Stress Resources

• Secondary Traumatic Stress: A Fact Sheet for Child-Serving Professionals

• Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR)

  • Launched in July 2014, SPR is an evidence-informed modular intervention that aims to help survivors gain skills to manage distress and cope with post-disaster stress and adversity. SPR is appropriate to use in the Recovery Phase by mental health professionals and other disaster recovery workers. It can be delivered in a variety of settings (e.g. schools, clinics, hospitals, assisted living facilities, houses of worship, community centers, libraries, and homes).

  • SPR is intended to help survivors identify their most pressing current concerns and teach them the skills so they can better address those needs. The skills used in SPR include enhancing problem-solving abilities, increasing positive activities, managing distressing reactions, promoting helpful thinking, and building healthy social connections.

• Talking to Children about the Shooting

• Terrorism and Catastrophic Mass Violence Resources

• Understanding the Links Between Adolescent Trauma and Substance Abuse: A Toolkit for Providers (2008)

• Wildfires | en Español

• Wildfire Trauma Information

• Working with Unaccompanied and Immigrant Minors

• Tip sheets for parents after disasters

  • Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after the Bombings

  • Parent Tips for Helping Infants and Toddlers after Disasters | en Español

  • Parent Tips for Helping Preschool-Age Children after Disasters | en Español

  • Parent Tips for Helping School-Age Children after Disasters | en Español

  • Parent Tips for Helping Adolescents after Disasters | en Español

  • Talking to Children about the Bombings

  • Wildfires: Tips for Parents on Media Coverage | en Español

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

• The mission of NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure.

• Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters: What Community Members Can Do

  • For Teachers, Clergy & Other Adults in the Community (Published 2006)

• Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters: What Parents Can Do

  • For Parents of Children Exposed to Violence or Disaster (Published 2006)

• Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters: What Rescue Workers Can Do

  • For Police, Fire & Other First Responders (Published 2006)

Optum Health | en Español

• Trauma and grief coping resources in Spanish

• Dealing with Grief in the Workplace - Part 1 Employees

• Dealing with Grief in the Workplace - Part 2 Management

• Strategies to Cope with Grief

Psychological First Aid for Students & Teachers

• This Listen, Protect, Connect - Model & Teach is a 16 page booklet that helps frame an approach to helping students in times of disaster, school crisis, or emergencies. Produced in partnership with www.ready.gov and The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Cincinnati Children's Hospital and The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.

RAND Corporation

• Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET)

  • Developed by the RAND Corporation in 2009

  • Exposure to community and interpersonal violence is a public health crisis that adversely affects many children in American communities. After witnessing or experiencing trauma, many children experience symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression, behavioral problems, substance abuse, and poor school performance. The Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET) program is a series of ten lessons whose structured approach aims to reduce distress resulting from exposure to trauma. Designed to be implemented by teachers or school counselors in groups of 8‚Äì10 middle school students, the program includes a wide variety of skill-building techniques geared toward changing maladaptive thoughts and promoting positive behaviors. It is also intended to increase levels of peer and parent support for affected students.

Ready.gov

• Coping with Disaster

  • Information provided by Ready.gov to help understand reactions to a disaster and special tips for helping children after a disaster.

• Helping Children Cope After a Disaster

  • The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers guidance about how to help children cope.

  • Helping Children Cope with Disaster Pamphlet

  • Helping Kids Cope with Disaster Recommendation from Ready.gov

Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance Center - U.S. Department of Education

• The REMS Technical Assistance Center's primary goal is to support schools and school districts in emergency management, including the development and implementation of comprehensive emergency and crisis response plans. The Center disseminates information about emergency management to help school districts learn more about developing, implementing, and evaluating crisis plans.

• The REMS TA center provides these downloadable specialized training packages which feature self-paced emergency management training materials to support high-quality emergency management across a range of special topics. School emergency managers may use these materials to train their colleagues or to brush up on their own knowledge regarding special topics in school emergency management. Each package includes training instructions, a Powerpoint presentation, and supplemental resources. Tabletop exercises are also included with some packages.

  • Understanding Educator Resilience & Developing a Self-Care Plan

  • Responding to Bereavement and Loss

Sesame Street

• Sesame Street provides resources for families with young children.

• Emergencies

  • Hurricanes, storms, and other natural disasters can be difficult for young children who may not fully understand what's going on around them. These tips, activities, and videos can help them feel safe, cope with emotions, and understand that there is hope for the future.

• Grief

  • Grief is complex, it encompasses a wide range of emotions that can come and go in waves. Use these tips, videos, children's story, and guide to help your family communicate with one another, express emotions, and begin the process of moving forward. You are not alone. And with time, you and your family will experience new happy moments together.

• Toolkit

  • When Families Grieve presents families' personal stories about coping with the death of a parent, as well as strategies that have helped these families move forward.

Treatment and Services Adaptation Center

• The Treatment and Services Adaptation Center website is supported by a team of clinicians, researchers, and educators who are respected authorities in the areas of school trauma and crisis response and come from the RAND Corporation, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

• This site contains tips and resources for parents and educators to support students who have experienced trauma and help improve outcomes for both youth and adults.

• Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS)

  • Mental health professionals are essential to supporting students exposed to traumatic stress. Access information to help clinicians better support traumatized students, including CBITS, an evidence-based intervention for traumatized students.

• Psychological First Aid: Listen, Protect & Connect (PFA: LPC)

  • A trauma-informed school provides a network of support for students experiencing daily stressors or extreme events. Review the key components of a trauma-informed school, including PFA - LPC, a crisis response strategy.

• Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET)

  • Educators are often the first line of defense for students coping with traumatic events. Access information to better support students, including SSET, an evidence-based intervention for school staff to help students exposed to traumatic events.

U.S. Department of Education

• Psychological First Aid (PFA) for Students and Teachers: Listen, Protect, Connect - Model &, Teach

  • From the "Helpful Hints" newsletter series (Published 2008)

• Tips for Helping Students Recovering From Traumatic Events

  • Provides practical information for parents and students who are coping with the aftermath of a natural disaster, as well as teachers, coaches, school administrators, and others who are helping those affected. (Sept. 2005)

• 10 Tips for Teaching the Psychological First Aid Model for K-12 Education Agencies

  • Purpose of the Psychological First Aid Model Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed intervention model to assist students, staff, and families in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or emergency event, and can be used by any trained staff member or school administrator. PFA is designed to reduce the initial distress and trauma caused by emergencies, and to help students return to their usual school-based activities after such an event. By using these brief and effective interventions in the form of the five steps of PFA (Listen, Protect, Connect, Model, and Teach), schools can provide a long-lasting, positive influence on trauma-related stress. 10 Tips for Teaching the Psychological First Aid Model for K-12 Education Agencies (PDF - 175 KB)

U.S. Department of Justice

• Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)

  • OVC is a component of the Office of Justice Programs U.S. Department of Justice.

  • Resource Topics

  • The HALOS Strategy Toolkit (Released May 2014)

    • This toolkit provides strategies for community collaboration to assist abused and neglected children and their caregivers. This free resource models the OVC-funded Helping and Lending Outreach Support (HALOS) program in Charleston, SC, which connects child victims and their caretakers to local organizations who provide resources and special opportunities to these families in need. The toolkit offers lessons learned from the HALOS initiative, recommends strategies for establishing programs similar to HALOS, and provides sample tools to use with partnering organizations.

  • Missing Children (Publications & Resources)

  • Teen Dating Violence (Publications and Resources)

• Through Our Eyes: Children, Violence & Trauma

  • A resource created in 2013 by the U.S. Office for Victims of Crime.

  • Contains videos discussing how violence and trauma affect children, treatments that work, the Child Advocacy Center, and community-based approaches.

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