Abstract
Trauma-informed care has been considered for high schools since 2010. Both teachers and support staff realize that it is important to make sure to meet students' basic needs for any learning to occur. This information rings true for all college students, especially since the pandemic. The trauma-informed care model has been presented to faculty and staff at Central State University to engage them and allow them to learn new strategies that will help them work with a traumatized student population. This chapter addresses how the model of trauma-informed care training on the website starr.org will help students to complete their college courses more effectively. The small mid-western college in the United States pulls from a few models that were used at the lighthouse community school and the St Leo Burundi refugee resettlement programs. School challenges can be from, according to previous research, being bored with school programs, missing too many days, and being unable to catch up. The chapter will consider how these issues can be combated using the TIC model.
TopBackround
Trauma is referred to “as situations that threaten death or serious injury, or threat to the physical integrity of self or others and overwhelm a person’s coping resources” (Brooks et al., 2018. p. 370). According to Champagne and Stromberg (2004), trauma-informed care is referred to “as mental health care that addresses the significant effect that trauma may have on a person’s neurobiology, psychology, and social relationships, and the high prevalence of traumatic experiences and disorders in people who receive mental health services” (p. 37). Following the onset of the pandemic, it became clear that many students at CSU had experienced traumatic events in their daily lives, and some of these may include substance abuse dependency, food insecurity, threats to their overall well-being, and health and safety (Steele, 2013). Many of these challenges existed prior to the pandemic and were exacerbated following the onset of the pandemic.
The source of traumatic events may be both from within and outside the family, resulting in a loss of a loved one, abuse, war experiences, and natural disasters (National Child Traumatic Stress Network [NCTSN], n.d.). Additionally, trauma has been associated with earlier biological aging, early puberty, cellular aging and changes in the brain structure (Colich et al., 2020). Having a good social support system that provides space to express emotions where individuals may feel cared for reduces the impact of trauma (SAMHSA, 2022). Traditionally, counseling centers offer individual and group support services that may address many of the needs of college students.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Young Adults: approximately 18-30 years of age.
Trauma: mental, physical, and/or emotional outcomes stemming from harmful or distressing situations or events which can have both immediate and long-term impacts on an individual's health, well-being, and ability to function.
Gardening: The laying out and care of a plot of ground devoted partially or wholly to the growing of plants such as flowers, herbs, or vegetables.
Holistic Approach: techniques and/or philosophies that consider an entity or phenomenon in totality, rather than as an aggregate of constituent parts.