Earlier this month, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) introduced the Supporting Trauma-Informed Education Practices Act to increase trauma support services and mental health care resources available to students. The bill authorizes grants designed to help schools improve how they address the complex needs of students coping with the devastating impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as parental addiction, abuse, and witnessing violence.
The Supporting Trauma-Informed Education Practices Act will:
Develop or improve prevention, screening, referral, and treatment and support services to students;
Implement schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports, or other trauma-informed models of support;
Provide professional development to teachers, teacher assistants, school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, and mental health professionals; and
Engage with families and communities to increase awareness of child and youth trauma.
“Trauma-informed schools are necessary to create learning environments where all children can thrive," said Jesse Kohler, Executive Director of the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP). "Research has shown that trauma-informed practices help address immediate mental health needs and lay a foundation for long-term academic success. This legislation is a crucial step in providing schools with more resources to tackle the youth mental health crisis head-on."
A one-pager on the Supporting Trauma-Informed Education Practices Act can be found here, and the full bill text can be found here.
In the 117th Congress, the Supporting Trauma-Informed Education Practices Act passed the House of Representatives as a part of the Mental Health Matters Act. The Mental Health Matters Act helps to rebuild schools and address the alarming mental health crisis plaguing the nation.
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