SCHOOLS
Children are coming to our schools more stressed out, overwhelmed, and dysregulated than ever before. A shift to a trauma-informed platform is the answer to giving these students a chance at reaching their full potential and finding their joy.
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Being trauma-informed means working from a perspective of regulation instead of behavior, empowerment instead of punishment, and relationship instead of fear.
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Becoming Trauma-Informed
Whether you are just beginning the journey of becoming trauma-informed or you have been working for several years to implement this model, you've come to the right place. We have resources for everyone on your team from beginners to those who are advanced in their knowledge base.
Create a customized plan for your school with this interactive map! Here are two instructions to make your experience enjoyable:
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Click each icon in the flowchart for more information.
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Click the green text for more information.
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Click the red arrow for options.
Need a crash course for becoming trauma-informed? Click HERE for these short videos.
Interactive Roadmap to Becoming Trauma-Informed
1.
Create a School Leadership Team within each school. This is a team of about 6-10 people who represent the makeup of your school.
Conduct an all staff professional development day led by the Leadership Team (click the red arrow for options):
3.
Select an option.
3A.
Use the "Help for Billy" Plug and Play course. This course is FREE! Click HERE to download.
3B.
Subscribe to the Trauma-Informed Online Academy and follow the "Help for Billy" course. Click HERE for more information and/or request a demo.
3C.
Subscribe to the Trauma-Informed Online Academy and use Domains 1 & 2 of the "Classroom180" coursework. Click HERE for more information and/or request a demo.
3D.
Using the content from the trainings listed in Step #2, the Leadership Team develops a curriculum using Classroom180. All staff receive a copy of Classroom180 to reinforce the learning.
4.
Administrative staff develops standards and policies based on the Trauma-Informed School Admin Guide.
5.
Select an option.
After the all-staff PD Training:
5A.
Divide into groups, continue working through Help for Billy and the Study Guide. Each group is led by one member of the Leadership Team.
5B.
Divide into groups and work through Classroom180 as a study group. Each group is led by one member of the Leadership Team. Work through all 5 domains and the rubric throughout the school year.
5C.
Using the Trauma-Informed Online Academy, use the scenarios and other content from the video library at your weekly staff meetings (15-20 minutes each week for the entire year).
5D.
Using the Trauma-Informed Online Academy, use the "Classroom180" coursework at your weekly staff meetings (15-20 minutes each week for the entire year). Reinforce the learning with Classroom180 for your staff.
6.
While Step 5 is underway, the Leadership Team conducts class observations with the Classroom180 Rubric to help each classroom progress effectively.
Develop more leaders with:
and:
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Continue with the Trauma-Informed Online Academy for another year.
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Add in the Trauma-Informed Online Academy if this option was not used yet to move your staff to the next level.
7.
Continue using the Classroom180 Rubric to support and gauge each teacher's progress in their journey of creating a trauma-informed classroom.
8.
Invite Heather
Once your school or district has completed the initial roll-out and has progressed to implementing the Classroom180 Framework, you may still want individual help with some of your toughest students or guidance in evolving your school to the next level. At this point in your journey, Heather is available for consultations and more advanced on-site or virtual training.
Trauma-Informed Resources for Schools
Classroom180: A Framework for Creating, Sustaining, and Assessing the Trauma-Informed Classroom
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Classroom180: A Framework of Creating, Sustaining, and Assessing the Trauma-Informed Classroom, by Heather T. Forbes, LCSW is a comprehensive roadmap of what it means to fully create, implement, and sustain a trauma-informed classroom from kindergarten through the twelfth grade. Additionally, Classroom180 includes an assessment tool, the Classroom180 Rubric, that can be used by administrators and other specialists who support teachers on the journey of becoming trauma-informed.
The Trauma-Informed School: A Step-by-Step Implementation Guide for Administrators and School Personnel
The Trauma-Informed School is an all-inclusive guide designed to give school administrators of any school (elementary, middle, or high school), step-by-step instructions on how to turn a school of any size into a trauma-informed school. With over 250 pages of content, this guide gives you the protocols you need along with a link to download all of the documents needed for a successful implementation.
A Study Guide for Help for Billy
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This chapter by chapter study guide follows the ground-breaking book, "Help for Billy: A Beyond Consequences Approach to Working with Challenging Children in the Classroom." It is created for teachers to help in creating trauma-informed classrooms. This study guide is a must for any teacher, school, or school district needing to answer the question, "What does this really look like to have a trauma-informed focus?"
This guide is ideal to be used for a book study group of educators to generate discussions, explore new approaches, and implement effective strategies for students who exhibit challenging behaviors.
Help for Billy
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Help for Billy is a pragmatic manual to help guide educators and parents who are struggling with children impacted by trauma. Based on the concept of the neuroscience of emotions and behaviors, Heather T. Forbes, LCSW provides detailed, comprehensive, and logical strategies for teachers and parents.
This easy to ready book, with tables, outlines, and lists, clears the way for a better understanding of the true nature regarding traumatic experiences affecting the brain and learning. It is a must read for anyone working with a child in the classroom. It has become a "bible" for setting the foundation for creating a trauma-informed school.
The Trauma-Informed Curriculum for Social-Emotional Learning: Preschool - Early Elementary
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For young children who have experienced or continually experience trauma, supportive, loving, and strong relationships are critical to their ability to heal and to learn. This curriculum was created from the primary author's direct experience in working with young children impacted by trauma. It has been tested and approved by our young learners! This is a must have resource if you are working with children impacted by trauma. It will give you the tools you need to help them build and develop the skills to successfully express themselves at the social and emotional levels.
The Gingerbread Girl
Full of pizzazz and adventure, The Gingerbread Girl takes children on an exploratory journey of emotions, survival challenges, and determination. Written from a trauma perspective, unlike the traditional Gingerbread Boy store, it has a different ending (SPOILER ALERT) that shows how even in the most challenging situations, you can still remain in a place of personal power and confidence.
The Gingerbread Girl includes an in-depth social/emotional discussion guide written by Heather T. Forbes, LCSW. It is designed to be an example of how any traditional storybook can be used as a social/emotional learning experience for children.
The Trauma-Informed Online Academy
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One and done workshops just aren't enough to create real change in our schools. Explore the magnitude of possibilities you have to train your teachers and staff with the Trauma-Informed Online Academy! With more than 70 hours of online videos and courses for school-wide trauma-informed training, you can get everyone on the same page. A year-long subscription is available to fit your budget and it will give EVERYONE at your school their own personal login. This is a fantastic option to make sure your school has the trainings it needs to ensure you have long-term success in implementing a trauma-informed platform.