By Daniel S Press, The National Law Review, May 11, 2020
There will be many demands on the funds that Tribes and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) receive from the $2.2 trillion U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, but allocating funds to implement trauma-informed programs to address the surge in mental health problems caused by COVID-19 should not be overlooked. As quarantines end, the trauma caused by COVID-19 will become apparent and tribal communities will be unprepared for the trauma tsunami that will hit their communities as the medical problems from COVID-19 diminish, unless they act now.
The Prevalent Problem
Numerous scholarly journals, psychological studies, and neuroscientific discoveries indicate that a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or flood, can cause a spike in trauma-triggered behavior including students acting out in school, increased substance abuse, criminal activity, domestic violence and child abuse. Studies have also found that these malignant behaviors hit historically traumatized, racially discriminated, and impoverished communities at a disproportionate rate. Many Native communities meet all of these criteria.
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