Greenup County Schools adopt trauma sensitive program

Dealing with a trauma at a young age can be difficult for many young children to process, especially without a strong support system at home.

Having someone for students to talk to, and also to notice the early signs of a trauma are why Greenup County Schools have adopted a “Trauma Sensitive Schools” model. The idea comes from the school safety bill that passed the Kentucky General Assembly this year.

“Family and childhood trauma is a growing concern in every community,” the district said. “In response, the Greenup County School District has developed an approach that promotes Trauma Sensitive Schools. Our goal is to educate school staff and families in understanding trauma, the effects of trauma, and ways to support families experiencing traumatic events.”

“Whenever children experience that, when they come to school, they can't learn,” Melissa Latimer said. “They're in a constant state of fight, flight, or freeze.”

Examples of trauma range from a child’s parents going through a divorce or a sudden death in the family, to more complicated issues like drug use in a home, abuse, or even living in poverty.

“It's really taking a different mindset. Instead of looking at a child and thinking, 'What's wrong with you?' it's looking at them and thinking, 'What happened to you?’.

Latimer says teachers and staff are in training, working on ways to connect with students and identify signs that a child may be suffering from a trauma at home. She says most students either act reclusive, meaning they keep to themselves, and won’t interact with students.

They typically sit in the back of the classroom and away from attention.

Another sign is the opposite of being reclusive. The child may be acting out, or have sudden outbursts or overreaction to small things such as a homework assignment.

Latimer says during training, teachers have admitted that they didn’t even think that that kind of behavior could mean a child is dealing with trauma at home.

“We have to start with these individuals and make sure they feel safe and supported, and they know they have a voice and they know they have someone that cares about them to help them to get ready to even learn.”

The district is working with parents, too, so they can get ahead and identify potential cases of trauma, and also guide families on how to have conversations at home.

If you would like information on Greenup County Schools’ trauma program, call Melissa Latimer at 606-473-9819.