I believe in using a “whole child” approach to care for, heal, and educate children and youth experiencing mental illness, trauma, social, emotional and behavioral problems.   I have confidence it is possible to restore hope and facilitate healing in the school setting.  I envision the best approach built on a foundation of universal principles including compassion, respect, acceptance, patience and positive relationships.  Awareness of the self and attachment to key individuals is critical in the healing process. Our efforts can be intensified and compounded by including the child in their own healing and learning process.  

Choice is essential in the reintegration of the self.  The concept of self is injured by trauma and can only be restored through individual agency and healing relationships with caregivers and peers.  Multiple and repeated positive experiences restructure the fractured mind.  The school setting is an ideal location where empirically based treatment protocols can be made attractive and be accessed voluntarily by the child.  An engaging physical environment and gentle, persuasive invitations encourage students to actively approach education and healing.

A triangular effort of student, teacher, and parent is needed to build a healing system that works for the individual child.  It is child-driven and child-centered with support from a structured framework of consistent relationships, rules governing safety, positive language, negotiation, an organized and inviting environment, and emotional regulation skills.  Support from an extended network of family, counselor, physician, coaches, religious leaders and friends are also needed to wrap around the child. These should be included as much as possible in the school environment.

Structures such as unit-based curriculum, games, play, physical activity, music, art, science and a pleasing physical environment can all be therapeutic, build trust and educate.  Curriculum should be integrated, inquiry-based, strength-based, and attractive. In a daily therapeutic environment, healing and learning can be synchronous and synergistic.  

Behavior management plans should follow compassionate but firm boundaries with safety as the primary goal.  I embrace the ideas of social and emotional coaching, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral counseling, trust-based relational interventions, and restorative justice.  These can all be employed purposefully and naturally to help children mature into socially conscientious adults.  Emotional regulation should always be achieved before behavioral interventions are used.  Safety needs to be felt deeply by all individuals.  Adult supervision and intervention are key and can be done in a compassionate and child-centered way.

Acceptance, tolerance, and even celebration of individual strengths and weaknesses is foundational to building resources for healing.  Honoring our unique personalities and cultural backgrounds helps us all to feel valued and more complete as humans.  I have as a goal to be more loving and understanding of the unique ways each of us handles hardship.  I am awed by the potential resiliency of children.  I aim to facilitate that growth.