CCR launched a partnership with Hinsdale South High School during the 2016-2017 academic year, with the broad goal of helping Hinsdale South respond to the needs of a diverse student body by working to integrate trauma sensitive policies and practices. CCR launched this initiative with a baseline assessment of the Hinsdale South staff using the Attitudes Regarding Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC) tool, followed by a 3-part introductory trauma training series to the entire staff (three 60-minute sessions).
During the 2017-2018 academic year, our work with Hinsdale South focused on:
1. Creation of a trauma-informed care workgroup that met regularly to spearhead this work.
2. Ongoing strategic planning and consultation to help integrate trauma-informed practices throughout the whole building, leveraging existing resources, teams, and leaders.
3. Consultation on how to engage youth and families and integrate their perspectives into the work.
4. Review of policies including crisis policies, re-entry procedures, and discipline policies to ensure consistency with trauma-informed principles.
5. Ongoing monitoring of data and outcomes, including use of the Environmental Scan observational tool and ARTIC staff survey.
6. More intensive coaching of small groups of staff that allowed greater opportunities for shared learning, discussion, and case consultation to help staff deepen their understanding of trauma-informed principals and translate knowledge into practice within the classroom and school.
7. Introduction of trauma screening tools for school-based mental health professionals so that trauma is identified and service planning takes this exposure into account.
8. Training and implementation support for a trauma-specific evidence-based group intervention: Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS).