Giving Compass
  • Sign In
  • About Us
    About Giving Compass How We Choose Content and Organizations Annual Reflections Our Newsletter
  • Getting Started
  • Learn About Issues
    Topic Guides
    Animal Welfare COVID-19 Criminal Justice Democracy Disaster Relief Education Environment Health Homelessness Immigrants and Refugees Racial Equity Women and Girls
    Curated Articles
    Partner Collections Giving Compass Selections See All Articles
  • Give to Causes
    Issue Funds & Intermediaries Projects Nonprofits
  • Get Involved
    Philanthropy Resource Directory Events Volunteer Opportunities
  • Partner With Us
    Nonprofits Authors Use Our Content Services Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
Sign Up
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Sign In

Delivering Trauma-Informed Care Online to Students

EdSurge Jun 10, 2020
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
Click here for more.
Delivering Trauma-Informed Care Online to Students Giving Compass
  •  Share
  •  Save
Share

Giving Compass’ Take:

• One school in New Jersey that specializes in trauma-informed care is prioritizing virtual community meetings and check-ins over instruction to ensure students are getting the care they need during COVID-19. 

•  How can donors ensure that these schools have the tools and resources they need during COVID-19?

•  Learn more about trauma-informed approach to addressing behavioral disorders in special education. 


In late February, as the coronavirus was silently beginning to spread through the United States, I observed a community meeting in Sean Matthews’ high school classroom.

As Matthews, a special education teacher, went around the room and posed the questions to each of his students, one answered that he was feeling energetic. Another said rushed. A third responded that he was in despair. Each interaction cued to Matthews where his students were internally and what they needed from him to have a successful day. From there, they were able to dive into their school work, which, on that day, involved a discussion of the final chapters of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Two weeks later, the extent of the COVID-19 outbreak was crystalizing nationwide, and schools shut down en masse.

Ever since mid-March, Matthews and his colleagues at Valley Day School have met with students for about an hour every day during live video sessions. The majority of instruction and school work is done asynchronously. The live sessions, instead, prioritize student check-ins, starting with virtual community meetings. It’s not ideal, but staff at Valley Day have tried to make the most of the tools available to transfer elements of the school’s trauma-informed approach to a virtual environment.

Valley Day School, located a couple miles from the New Jersey state line in Morrisville, Pa., is classified as an Approved Private School, a special designation for schools in Pennsylvania that serve children whose needs, due to severe or complex disabilities, cannot be adequately met in a traditional public school’s special education program.

Many students at Valley day exhibit behavioral challenges or aggression, experience depression and anxiety, and struggle with social interactions. Some have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. These challenges can lead to students “eloping”—walking out of or refusing to attend class—crying, and threatening or using physical violence.

When Hall, the executive director, joined the school eight years ago, the behavioral approach used with students was primarily punitive. In some cases, students were expelled. In others, the police liaison down the hall would file disorderly conduct charges. Students were increasingly becoming involved in the criminal justice system.

Read the full article about trauma-informed care by Emily Tate at EdSurge.

  •  Share
  •  Save
Share

Coronavirus is a complex topic, and others found these selections from the Impact Giving archive from Giving Compass to be good resources.

  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Fulfilling Philanthropy’s COVID-19 Pledge: Listening in a Time of Crisis

    As COVID-19’s rapid spread has wreaked havoc on our sector, more than 550 foundations (at the time of writing) have signed a pledge to support our nonprofit partners and the people and communities hardest hit by the pandemic and associated economic impacts. The pledge includes eight commitments, ranging from being more flexible with timelines and reporting requirements to converting project grants to general support so that nonprofits can use the funds where they need them most. The sixth commitment of the pledge focuses on listening to communities least heard, amplifying their voices, and considering their perspective in decision-making. Even in the best of times, that type of listening has not been philanthropy’s strong suit. As we have written before, the rhetoric about listening often outpaces actual practice. And now, when stress is so high and with so many competing demands on individuals, organizations, and communities, making the effort to listen may seem like a “nice to have” rather than a “must have.” But we believe listening to all voices — especially voices least heard — is essential, particularly as funders seek to inform effective responses to the many requests coming their way. There is no specific playbook for how foundations should listen during an unprecedented pandemic and global economic turmoil. But there is experience to build upon. Drawing on what we learned from a recent Hewlett Foundation scan of foundation listening practices, and on our years of experience promoting the integration of voices least heard into organizational decision-making through Fund for Shared Insight and Listen4Good, we offer the following suggestions as an initial roadmap for foundations as they seek to act on their commitment to listen to grantees and affected communities right now: Discern and be transparent about your boundaries. Conduct open listening sessions. Go deeper with a few organizations. Consider whether you can involve a few grantees or community representatives in co-crafting responses based on identified needs. Identify responses that are easier to implement and make those first. Prioritize and test what you have heard. Close the loop with the people who gave you input. Read the full article about fulfilling philanthropy’s COVID-19 pledge by Valerie Threlfall, Melinda Tuan, and Fay Twersky at The Center for Effective Philanthropy. 


Looking for a way to get involved?

If you are interested in Children and Youth, please see these relevant events, training, conferences or volunteering opportunities the Giving Compass team recommends.

Loading...
Learn More

Are you ready to give?

In addition to learning and connecting with others, taking action is a key step towards becoming an impact giver. If you are interested in giving with impact for Children and Youth take a look at these Giving Funds, Charitable Organizations or Projects.

Loading...
Learn More
Connect

Loading...

Loading...

Learn More
Take Action

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

Learn More
More from
Giving Compass
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Helping Rural Towns Recover From COVID-19 Through Community Belonging
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Reinventing Schools to Fulfill Diverse Needs During COVID-19
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    The Varying Gaps in Chicago’s Remote Special Education
Follow Us
Newsletter

Become a newsletter subscriber to stay up-to-date on the latest Giving Compass news.

About Us
  • About Giving Compass
  • In The News
  • Contact Us
  • Content at Giving Compass
  • Partner With Us
Trending Issues
  • Environment
  • Homelessness
  • STEM Education
  • Equal Pay Act
  • Gender Equality

Copyright © 2021, Giving Compass, LLC

•
  • Privacy Policy
  • User Agreement

Sign in

Your personal information is confidential at Giving Compass. For more information, please visit our privacy policy. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use.