Research has shown that traumatic events, like natural disasters and community violence, have a tremendous effect on students — especially in low-income communities and those without a coherent recovery strategy.

Less than 24 hours after Puerto Rico Education Secretary Julia Keleher requested his [Frank Zenere]'s help, the school psychologist and head of the crisis management program at Miami-Dade County Public Schools boarded a plane, ready to help educators in the U.S. territory address a mental health crisis brewing among their students since Hurricane Maria devastated the island Sept. 20.

“The schools represent a significant step of reconstruction; just like you rebuild the home a block at a time, you have to rebuild the social-emotional fabric of a land that’s been disrupted this way a day at a time,” Zenere said.

As all Puerto Ricans strive to rebound from the disaster, Zenere said, attention should extend beyond the needs of children — his crisis management plan also focuses on caring for the caregivers. In previous disaster relief experiences, he said, he has observed school officials returning to the classroom at the neglect of their own mental health.

Read the full article by Mark Keierleber at The74