6 EDCAL January 15, 2018
Addressing perspectives on student mental health
The following article was written by Marcy
Gutierrez and Kate Holding of Lozano Smith
Attorneys at Law, with contributions by school
psychology professionals Melissa Holland and
Stephen Brock.
Reading, writing, arithmetic and so
much more. Education these days goes well
beyond the 3-R’s.
Homelessness. Poverty. Witnessing the
death of a loved one. Being a victim of vio-
lent crime. Child abuse. Sexual abuse. All of
these are examples of traumatic situations –
events that impact and shape the lives of the
students we serve within our schools.
Effecting change requires that we change
our mindsets. How do we create healthy
school cultures that address the social, emo-
tional and mental health needs of students,
while ensuring that our schools still provide
challenging academic opportunities, and
prepare students for life after high school?
In order to raise awareness of childhood
trauma, and change perceptions among edu-
cators and other adults who interact with
youth, the U.S. Department of Justice initi-
ated a national campaign called, “Changing
Minds.” Instead of viewing behavior as
“angry, bad, negative or withdrawn,” this
campaign calls upon educators to recognize
that children may be exhibiting such behav-
ior in response to trauma.
The goal of this federal initiative is to
engage and motivate adults to help change
practices in schools, homes and communi-
ties, resulting in better outcomes for trau-
ma-afflicted children.
The courts, too, have considered the
issue of trauma and the obligations that
local education agencies may have. In the
controversial 2015 case of Peter P., et al. v.
Compton Unified School District, teach-
ers and students united as plaintiffs in a
class action lawsuit, where they alleged
violations of Title 2 of the Americans with
Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act. Allegations included
failure to reasonably accommodate students
who experienced trauma, and not properly
training teachers to handle resulting violent
and aggressive behaviors of students.
The student plaintiffs more specifically
alleged they were “denied meaningful access
to public education” on account of the
disability of trauma, which resulted from
repeated exposure to events such as shoot-
ings and stabbings, time spent in the foster
care system, extreme poverty, discrimination
and racism.
Instead of the district providing educa-
tors with training to understand and address
the needs of these students and develop
coping strategies, students were subjected
to “counter-productive suspensions, expul-
sions, involuntary transfers and referral to
law enforcement.” The student plaintiffs
suggested that Compton USD should have
provided mental health services and imple-
mented restorative practices to help rebuild
healthy and supportive relationships, rather
than imposing discipline.
Overall, the plaintiffs asked Compton
USD to shift its perspective in ha ndling
traumatized students from punitive to
restorative, and to provide training for edu-
cators to help do so.
While the Compton case is yet to be
decided, the parties are working to develop a
model policy regarding response and inter-
vention to address trauma in schools. There
is no debate that there is a need to expand
mental health resources in schools.
Stephen Brock of California State
University, Sacramento is a leading advocate
in this area, where he is part of a movement
to ensure that schools have a “multi-tiered
system of support” for students that can cre-
ate a safe and supportive school atmosphere.
Brock is a tenured professor in the
school psychology program in the College
of Education at CSUS and holds a Ph.D.
in education, with an emphasis in psycho-
logical studies. He explains that schools
must address the mental health needs of
trauma-exposed students at every level, and
describes a tiered approach:
• Tier 1: The first tier provides universal
interventions that are implemented into
the curriculum on a regular basis, including
programs like mindfulness, as well as other
trauma-informed practices.
• Tier 2: The second tier involves more
intense small group work using curricula
such as Mindful Schools.
• Tier 3: The third tier may require
referrals to therapists outside of school
who can address the most serious student
mental health needs on a more individual-
ized basis. At school it can also include
group approaches, such as “Cognitive
Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in
Schools” (CBITS), which is designed to
reduce symptoms of mental impairments
resulting from trauma.
Brock said the Compton case can, and
should, result in positive changes within
our schools. He acknowledges the posi-
tive effects that trauma-informed practices
can have on the entire student population,
since traumatized students will be positively
affected and in turn not disrupt the learn-
ing environment for other students in the
classroom.
Brock suggests an effective manner for
handling traumatized students includes
“embedding within the curriculum deliber-
ate activities to show students that school
is a safe environment where they don’t have
to worry.”
Evidence-based practices
Melissa Holland is another leading
advocate for promoting the use of evidence-
based practices within our schools. She has
partnered with LEAs throughout the state
to provide intensive professional develop-
ment opportunities for educators, so they
learn the tools needed to address the social
and emotional well-being of students.
Holland, an associate professor in the
school psychology program at CSUS with
a Ph.D. in clinical, counseling and school
psychology, said the common signs for
trauma are often misinterpreted. For exam-
ple, “acting out” can be misinterpreted as
misconduct, when in fact the child has been
exposed to a form of trauma.
“It may be ongoing at home or in their
community, so they are primed to scan the
environments for the negative,” she said.
“Thus, you may see overreactions to situ-
ations that trigger these students, and this
behavior may look defiant in nature.”
See HEALTH, page 7
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