During an expansive and informative presentation, Robert Reed, the Pennsylvania executive deputy attorney general for special initiatives, highlighted the immense impact that trauma has on school-aged children.
“Trauma is the number one cause of most childhood adversity,” said Reed.
With that being the case, Reed said it’s incredibly important for educators to be trauma-informed in order to best serve children. It’s that purpose that brought together a diverse group of educators and police force from throughout Allegheny County on July 13th at the AIU office.
During the day, the group learned more about Handle with Care, a tier-one, trauma-informed intervention between schools and police. Originally piloted in West Virginia in 2013, Handle with Care provides the school or child care agency with a “heads up” when a child has been identified at the scene of a traumatic event. That way, educators know that they might have to handle the child a little differently.
During the day, Reed spoke about the impact that trauma has on society, labeling it as a longstanding public health crisis. Afterwards, Reed ceded to Randy Cox, the Somerset Borough police chief. Cox has been instrumental in helping pilot Handle With Care in the Somerset Area School District.
Cox lauded the effectiveness of the program, noting that since its implementation in 2021, Handle with Care has had 200 referrals. Given that number, Cox said that one in ten kids experience a traumatic event before they go to school the next day.
“Traumatized kids tend to see their world as a riskier, more dangerous place,” Cox said, when explaining the importance of Handle with Care.
Afterwards, Dr. Monique Mawhinney and Dr. Amber Dean from the Highlands School District answered questions about how they implemented Handle with Care in their district.
When explaining its effectiveness, Mawhinney highlighted how Handle with Care has strengthened the bond between the district and the local police, an important feat, given the instrumental role both entities serve.
“Handle with Care has really opened up a line of communication with our police,” Mawhinney said.
