Lillian Michelle Mitchell

“Project Equip & Connect is an initiative designed to directly prepare, teach, and connect students who receive exceptional child services and their families to SEL strategies and resources and trauma focused cognitive behavior therapy. Students with Individual Education Plans will be taught how to implement self regulation strategies through the use of purchased calming tools/resources and a Find Your Spark journal. Additionally, their parents/guardians will have access to 2 scheduled Family Nights in which discussions will occur with parents/guardians about social emotional learning and at home strategies that can be implemented in the home environment. Parents will receive a purchased social emotional learning workbook to use at home with their student. Furthermore, 5 district special education therapists will be trained on Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy to further support students who need more intense social emotional learning. TF-CBT is a short-term, evidence-based treatment for children, ages 3-18, who have experienced trauma (e.g., child abuse, domestic violence, traumatic grief, and other traumatic events) and their caregivers. This components-based psychotherapy model incorporates trauma-sensitive interventions with cognitive behavioral, family, and humanistic principles. TF-CBT is empirically supported for use with youth impacted by trauma and co-occurring mental health problems. The provision of this therapy along with social emotional learning can help mitigate the impact of trauma and promote protective factors for our students and this will assist with improved school success and mental wellbeing.”