Families are foundational for students’ health and wellness. Integrating support for caregivers and families is a part of creating a trauma-informed school. When caregivers feel that they are respected as members of the school community and that the needs of families are valued, schools and caregivers can have more collaborative relationships.
There are many ways that SBHCs can play a vital role in supporting families. When creating trauma-informed supports, addressing whole child needs such as food, housing, and safety help to create a foundation that increases student capacity for healing.
Practices to Increase Family Engagement:
Childcare is very helpful for parents to be able to attend anything outside of school hours.
Standalone workshops can be easier for parents to fit into their schedules than a series of workshops.
Community Health Workers can help families navigate challenging systems.
Host parent education workshops on mindfulness and trauma-informed parenting practices. Students can experience more consistency and families can feel empowered to navigate challenging situations when both schools and home are utilizing trauma-informed practices.
Offer self defense classes and discussions of trauma, impacts of trauma, domestic violence, and connecting people with resources. Provide and offer classes in English and Spanish or other languages that are primarily spoken at the school.
Create food pantries to help address the food insecurity in a community. Families can get fresh food every week and connect informally with SBHC staff.
Host immigration clinics where families can get support from agencies that support immigration as well as from immigration lawyers. Feeling safe is a foundation for healing trauma and supporting families to feel more safe in their homes can create large impacts.
