Mission, Vision, Goals
Our Mission
Provide states, districts, and schools with the knowledge and tools to implement culturally responsive, trauma-informed policies and practices that promote equity and well-being.
Our Vision
For every student and educator to feel safe and supported in school.
Our Goals
Goal 1: Build state, district, and school capacity to implement culturally responsive, trauma-informed policies and practices into comprehensive school mental health systems nationwide.
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Organize existing NCS3 tools and processes, and develop new tools as needed, into a streamlined Trauma-Informed School Mental Health (TI-SMH) training and implementation support package to integrate and align trauma-informed schools (TIS) policies and programming into school mental health (SMH).
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Partner with state and local education and behavioral health agency leaders to facilitate state-district Communities of Practice (CoP) on TI-SMH in 6 states with at least 30 partnering districts (2 states, 10 districts per region, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast).
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Conduct TI-SMH training and ongoing implementation support, including assessing school mental quality and trauma-responsiveness using the free, online HRSA/SAMHSA-funded School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation System (www.theSHAPEsystem.com).
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Train administrators and educators in universal TIS components and train school mental health clinicians in evidence-based Tier 2 /3 trauma interventions.
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Make TI-SMH Materials available via SHAPE and engage states and districts in TI-SMH continuous quality improvement via online and virtual implementation support.
Goal 2: Support training and implementation of school-based trauma interventions that attend to social determinants and injustices and engage and support specific marginalized populations, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and newcomer (refugee and immigrant) youth.
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Partner with national experts on social justice, social determinants of health, and engaging BIPOC and newcomer students to refine existing and develop new training and resources, as needed, on equitable and culturally responsive TIS, including enhancements to NCTSN and other evidence-based trauma interventions.
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Train school administrators, educators, and school mental health clinicians on the impact of social injustices and determinants of health that contribute to health disparities and how to address these disparities within a TIS framework.
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Train school mental health clinicians to better engage and support BIPOC and newcomer youth in evidence-based trauma interventions.
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Train school administrators, educators, and school mental health clinicians in multi-tiered systems of support for newcomer (refugee and immigrant) students, including universal supports and STRONG (Supporting Transition Resilience of Newcomer Groups), a Tier 2/3 intervention to support newcomer students experiencing psychological distress.
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Make available online materials to support culturally responsive and equitable TI-SMH via SHAPE and engage district and school users in accessing and using materials.
Goal 3: Integrate TIS into pre-service educator and mental health provider preparation.
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Design, produce, and deliver a scalable model of a 16-hour online National Trauma-Focused Intern Training (T-FIT) Program for Graduate Social Work and Counseling Interns based on the CTCS T-FIT Program. Refine online TIS training and resources for pre-service behavioral health students and partner with institutions of higher education and professional associations/organizations to develop a strategic plan for adoption and spread.
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Refine and deliver TIS training and resources for pre-service educators and partner with institutions of higher education and teacher mentorship programs (e.g., Teach for America, City Year, Golden Apples Scholar) to develop a strategic plan for adoption and spread.
