One year after Hurricane Harvey, Houston-area teachers have a new tool to respond to children who have experienced trauma or distress through a new online professional development program. The program was developed through a collaboration between UNICEF USA, Mental Health America of Greater Houston (MHA of Greater Houston), and health simulation company Kognito.
The program, titled Trauma-Informed Practices for K-12 Schools (TPS), is a 30-45-minute online simulation that builds educators’ awareness of the effects of trauma and teaches effective ways to respond to students who may be experiencing distress as a result of a traumatic experience. It allows educators to practice responding to virtual students in distress using an innovative conversation platform developed by Kognito.
Over two-thirds of children in the U.S. have reported at least one traumatic event by age 16. Signs of traumatic stress affect children’s behaviors at home and in the classroom, with many effects that last into adulthood. Adverse childhood experiences can include sudden loss of a loved one, serious accidents or illness, community violence, abuse or neglect, and natural disasters as in the case of Hurricane Harvey. The new simulation was completed in time for the 2018-19 school year, which coincided with the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey. Both events have the potential for triggering renewed trauma among those who lived through the storm and its aftermath.
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