Responding to Students Affected by Trauma: Collaboration Across Public Systems

Abstract

Many youth involved with the juvenile justice system have been exposed to trauma and also struggle in school. Yet, success in school may help to mitigate the effects of trauma exposure and reduce the likelihood of engaging in high‐risk behaviors. Building on the research connecting trauma and learning, this article draws out lessons learned from three initiatives in which public systems attempt to assess trauma and meet both the behavioral health and academic needs of students. Promoting a shared view of child development and an understanding of the impact of trauma on that developmental trajectory is an important step toward implementing an effective, coordinated system of care for high‐risk youth. Keypoints The education and juvenile justice systems overlap at multiple points, and coordinating their approach to acting‐out youth would be more beneficial to the youth and the systems that serve them. As juvenile justice systems increasingly recognize the importance of family and the need to address trauma, how to involve and engage families in trauma‐focused assessment and treatment will become all the more critical to juvenile justice practice.