People often experience and have survived unimaginable traumatic events, and  experiencing trauma affects everyone differently. Some end up experiencing suicidal thoughts that can result in attempts to take their own life. Of course, experiencing trauma is just one risk factor that can lead to suicide (depression and other mental illnesses can also contribute), but its significance cannot be overlooked.

According to WHYY, research shows that about half of Philadelphia County’s  children experience at least one traumatic event before they reach the age of 17. Such adverse childhood experiences (ACES) can include living in poverty, experiencing and/or witnessing violence, or having a parent be incarcerated.

Now, Research for Action (RFA), which is a nonprofit organization, has announced what they call “promising models” for US schools to consider.  The study also recommends that schools provide professional development that reflects the complexity and sensitivity of trauma and that PA legislators mandate a statewide plan for creating trauma-informed schools along with the necessary funds to provide needed financial assistance to schools.

Currently, 11 states require and/or encourage trauma-informed practices through state policy and RFA cites Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin as leaders in trauma-informed education.

Last fall, PA state Senators Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia, and Patrick Browne, R-Lehigh, began a bipartisan push to mandate a trauma-informed system of education throughout Pennsylvania. Prior to that, in June 2018 the General Assembly passed Act 44, which created a $60 million school safety fund and called for schools to provide mandatory training that included trauma-informed education. Then, in August 2018, Governor Wolf’s school safety task force also called for trauma-informed strategies to be implemented.

The federal government has also made steps to fund trauma-informed methods by passing the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act in October 2018. The law authorizes grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to increase student access to evidence-based trauma-support services and mental health care.

Many thanks to WHYY for the information in this article and for its support for traumatized children.