Trauma-Informed School Practices
Building Expertise to Transform Schools
This textbook represents the combined insight and experience of Brenda M. Morton, a k-12 educator, and Anna A. Berardi, a psychotherapist, both of whom are also university educators with extensive work experience serving districts and their teachers seeking to incorporate trauma-informed principles into their school culture and classroom. It instructs educators on how to identify and apply trauma-informed educator competencies needed to transform districts, schools, educators, classrooms, and the field of education itself, while also including community members such as parents and board members in these processes—a total system makeover. At the conclusion of this text, the student, educator, or mental health professional will have a deeper understanding of what trauma-informed practice requires of them. This includes practical strategies on how to transform our learning communities in response to the devastating effect of unmitigated stress and trauma on our students’ ability to learn and thrive throughout their lives.