When returning to school, participants will learn and understand what trauma is by exploring the signs, symptoms, and psychological and physiological impacts of trauma. This engaging learning experience will nurture self-awareness and self-reflection practices to help develop coping skills. These practices are used to shift energy back to the brain to help students concentrate and learn. (1.5-2hrs)

When returning to school, discover new approaches for supporting student and staff mental health by turning tragedies into growth. Schools and organizations will learn how to mitigate the psychological impact of COVID-19 on children’s emotional well-being and development. Discussions will focus on including a trauma-informed, equitable, and compassionate lens for providing mental health supports to every school community member. 

(1.5-2hrs)

This presentation’s goals and objectives are to develop participants’ initial understanding of trauma by teaching about its forms, signs, symptoms, and triggers, as well as how to build a trauma-informed approach to education that will help teachers understand and become comfortable with childhood trauma. Participants will make meaningful connections on how to create a trauma-informed care (TIC) culture. They will also complete a self-assessment using the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) survey and discuss the results in small groups. Participants will share their perspectives on the questionnaire’s content, critique its possible cultural biases, discuss the process of administering it to children, and explore how schools are using the survey. (1-2hrs)

Participants will examine the different forms of trauma and identify the signs of emotional dysregulation by responding in a culturally competent manner. Best practices will help participants create predictable structure and routines, focus on building relationships, and find ways to connect with students. (1-2hrs)

This workshop focuses on helping participants understand trauma’s impact on brain development and learning by exploring trauma-informed interventions to improve cognitive functioning. Participants will also learn and apply the six principles of trauma-informed care and develop an understanding of the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) study/survey. (1-2hrs)

The content in this workshop will focus on participants’ implementation of the trauma-informed care (TIC) interventions reviewed and discussed in the workshop “Trauma’s Impact on Brain Development.” Participants will reflect on and discuss their application of trauma-informed interventions while working with children who have experienced trauma. This training will provide a platform for participants to share their experiences, challenges, and strategies for interventions that resonated with both fruitful and non-fruitful outcomes.  (1.5-2hrs)

This workshop focuses on culturally responsive teaching and implicit bias, which expounds on informing educators about their practice to improve teaching choices for eliciting, engaging, inspiring, supporting, and growing their students’ intellectual capacity by using a cultural competence framework (Hammond, 2015). This framework integrates a trauma-informed care (TIC) approach to help teachers develop relationships and apply approaches to foster culturally responsive teaching practices. Participants will also learn how to recognize and challenge their own implicit bias and its impact on instruction and interactions with students. There will be an in-depth discussion and analysis of how implicit bias impacts one’s work. By learning and understanding the benefits of embracing diversity to combat implicit bias, teachers and educators can create a learning environment that reduces racial biases. The ability to integrate culturally responsive teaching with implicit bias training will support a school’s efforts in transforming into a TIC environment. (1.5-2hrs)

Participants will learn how to integrate a multi-tiered system of supports with trauma-informed care practices. This workshop will utilize three intervention-based frameworks: response to intervention (RTI), positive behavior intervention supports (PBIS), and trauma-informed care (TIC). By integrating these three interventions, participants will learn how to provide academic and behavioral strategies for students with various needs while creating a learning atmosphere conducive to meeting students’ social-emotional needs. The training will also explore the following strategies:

*Examining how trauma-informed interventions can enhance a school’s PBIS/tiered systems

*Learning when trauma-informed approaches can be used and at what multi-tiered systems of support

*Using data to support decision making that will evolve systems and best practices (1.5-2hrs)

*Examining how trauma-informed interventions can enhance a school’s PBIS/Tiered systems.

*Learning when trauma-informed approaches can be used and at what MTSS tiers.

*Using data to support decision making that will evolve systems and best practices. (1.5-2hrs)

The goals and objectives of this training are to develop in participants an initial understanding of self-care by learning about signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue, job satisfaction, and vicarious trauma, as well as how to take a trauma-informed self-care approach. Participants will learn the six domains of self-care: personal, physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and professional. The six domains will be used to help participants understand and apply strategies for overcoming and managing extremely stressful experiences. Participants will also learn how to develop and implement a self-care plan through experiential learning, self-reflection, and group discussion with peers. (1.5-2hrs)

This workshop explores the wonderful creative outlets of art, music, and writing to help children freely express their emotions and begin to elevate built-up frustration and stress. Participants will also learn how to assess their mood by identifying their emotions to self-advocate for support and needs. (45 minutes)

No one should feel pressured to “just get over it,” especially following the loss of a loved one due to community violence, substance abuse, medical sickness, or natural causes. This workshop fosters the notions of making meaning from loss, acknowledging our reality, becoming vulnerable, and managing the Not OK. Essential components for fostering resilience will aid students in the process of developing a healthy approach to life when things go awry. (45 minutes)

Participants will learn and develop an understanding of the definition and characteristics of healthy relationships.  Examples of social media versus reality will deepen conversations and perspectives to develop a framework of what relationships require from us. Role-playing will help participants apply concepts to establish the power of relationship by exploring alternative ways of managing intense emotions. (45 minutes)

Participants will develop a conceptualization of self-sabotaging by becoming aware of examples displayed in the classroom, community, and home settings. Exercises are designed to help participants identify self-sabotaging triggers by taking a self-sabotage assessment. The findings of the assessment will help identify which life stressor(s) are creating roadblocks to participants seeking their fullest potential in life. (45 minutes)

Self-sabotaging triggers are conscious or unconscious thoughts activated by specific events in the mind that impact one’s feelings and actions. The sequence of triggers consists of event-thoughts-feelings-behaviors.  This workshop will help participants learn how to identify and redirect negative thoughts and feelings that will prompt them to make better choices. Exercises will guide them in this process by reflecting and recording specific situations in a structured way to help evaluate thinking so one can respond in less self-sabotaging ways. 

(45 minutes)

“Clear vision coupled with thoughtful action is the key to success” (Ho, 2021, p. 235). Designing a blueprint for change lays out uncompromisable choices that have caused participants difficulty in the past and helps them learn to resolve those issues with concrete strategies. This workshop aids participants in the process of creating a blueprint for success by showing them that consistent practices lead to consistent victories. Participants will have a better sense of how to recognize self-sabotaging triggers and how to transform them so they don’t lead to self-sabotaging actions. (45 minutes)

This workshop is designed to target specific mental health trends among the student body on campus. Students become informed on how to personalize well-being practices and solutions to curate to specific needs. Courageous conversations and discussions are conducted about cultural inclusion and equitable experiences.

(60 minutes)

Students will experience a powerful message about the harsh realities of transitioning from college into corporate America. Your college days will one day expire, and you must take advantage of this opportunity to build robust relationships and select the right academic courses. Enjoy this powerful and invigorating journey from a West Chester University alumnus, Golden Ram football player, and member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. 

(1-1.5hrs)

This captivating presentation explores the life and exploitation of Saartjie (Sarah) Baartman, one of the first Black women known to be subjugated to human sex trafficking. Students will learn about the dangers of human trafficking, the realities of media exploitation, and the importance of loving thy-self. (1-1.5hrs)

This workshop is designed to help young men mitigate the exacerbating impact of mental health. Participants will engage in an exciting presentation and discourse on the intricacies of mental health and its healing process. Dr. Callands is an eminent speaker with experience as a Philadelphia native who survived community gun violence as a youth and who used weightlifting and collegiate football as his outlets for healing. As a former special education teacher and current behavioral health school principal, Dr. Callands will discuss the variations of mental health’s impact on youth, physical and emotional signs of anxiety, causes of and interventions for depression, strategies for managing stress, and self-care practices. For young men who will become the leaders of tomorrow, this workshop will dismantle the stigmas of mental illness and embrace the importance of mental wellness. (1-1.5hrs)

How do we begin to grieve and heal from losing a loved one due to community violence? Dr. Curtis Callands’ presentation will help participants understand the various factors of grief and loss including anticipatory, complicated, and disenfranchised grief. As a learning community, we will help participants identify how grief impacts individuals’ physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and spiritual well-being. This presentation will discuss approaches to helping individuals recognize warning signs associated with grief and loss and learning how to support individuals who are experiencing intense emotions. As a community, we must learn how to heal from trauma to save the next person’s life. (1-1.5hrs)

This workshop explores ancient Kemet’s (Egyptian) seven principles of Ma’at to help children and adults begin healing from trauma. Participants will learn about and explore how to incorporate the principles of Ma’at into their daily lives.  (1-1.5hrs)