Critical Role of Trauma-Informed Schools: School Social Workers as Detectives: Unraveling the Past to Support Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship Youth
At iCARE, we understand the challenges schools face in supporting adoptive, foster, and kinship students. Many of these children have experienced complex trauma, disrupting their emotional and social development. Fortunately, trauma-informed schools with trained social workers can play a crucial role in unraveling the past and supporting these students.
Why Trauma-Informed Schools Matter
Trauma can manifest in various ways, impacting a child’s behavior, learning, and overall well-being. Some of the most complex cases are children who have had attachment trauma as well as other adverse childhood experiences. Trauma-informed schools can create a safe and supportive environment for these students to feel understood and be equipped to manage any challenges. School social workers are uniquely positioned to identify the underlying causes of behavioral issues and develop support strategies.
School Social Workers: Detectives Uncovering the Truth
Disenfranchised grief and ambiguous loss can look like other mental health symptoms like ADHD, ODD and many others. School social workers must consider how a child's past experiences affect their current struggles through careful observation, holistic assessments, interviews and collaboration with caregivers and outside mental health professionals.
This "detective work" can involve:
- Understanding Background Information: Collaborate with caregivers and caseworkers to gather historical, medical, family and social histories including information on any neglect, abuse, or loss.
- Observing Behavior: Identifying patterns of behavior that may be linked to trauma, such as withdrawal, aggression, or difficulty regulating emotions.
- Building Trust and Rapport: Creating a safe space for students to discuss their experiences and feelings and to support their attachment to caregivers and feelings of belonging to their family.
Unraveling the Past to Empower the Future
Understanding the root cause of a child’s behavior allows for a more targeted approach to support. School social workers can then:
- Develop Individualized Support Plans: Work with teachers, counselors, and caregivers to create a plan that addresses academic, social, and emotional needs.
- Connect Students and Caregivers with Resources: Refer students to appropriate resources, such as trained adoption competent therapists, support groups, or extracurricular activities that promote healing and growth. Refer parents to community resources and support groups like our Sequoia Families.
- Empower Students: Equip students with coping mechanisms and social-emotional learning skills to navigate challenges and build resilience with a focus on calm and emotional regulation.
Supporting Trauma-Informed Schools
We recognize the critical role of trauma-informed schools. We advocate for policies and resources that empower school social workers to effectively support adoptive, foster, and kinship youth. We offer:
- Educational Workshops: Training on the unique needs of adoptive, foster and kinship students and how NTI adoption competency mental health training can equip and empower school staff to support them. We have professionals in multiple school districts in Illinois taking NTI training. In fact, over 10% of those taking training to become trauma-informed are in Illinois.
- Support Groups: Connecting adoptive, foster and kinship families with resources on our website and strategies. (Sequoia Families and Teen Talks)
- Collaboration: Working with schools to develop effective support systems for students experiencing trauma. ( Tips and Critical Questions)
Together, we can create schools with the knowledge to allow adoptive, foster and kinship children to heal, learn, and thrive. If you are a caregiver, educator, or social worker, and you’d like to learn more, visit iCARE4aaff.org to be part of the solution!