Exposure to violence can have a long-term effect on a child’s physical, emotional and mental health, whether they are the victim of or a witness to violence. Prolonged or repeated exposure to violence and trauma can seriously undermine a child’s ability to focus, behave appropriately, and learn. The result of this can lead to many difficulties in school, including; truancy, suspension or expulsion, dropping out, or involvement in the youth justice system.
“The lasting effects of trauma on the human body and on the development of the brain can also be very detrimental,” said School District of La Crosse Director of Community Services Curt Teff. “Early identification of trauma exposure paired with early intervention efforts can successfully disrupt the cycle of trauma. Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and school districts can work collaboratively in these efforts by improving communication to school personnel when a child has been exposed to violence or trauma in the community.”
The Handle with Care Program is an agreement for law enforcement agencies to send one-way communications to school districts to provide notice of a child’s or children’s exposure to violence or trauma that was discovered during an LEA call for service.
When LEA personnel respond to a call for service where school-aged children are present and because of the circumstances of the call, may be negatively affected by the situation, they may send a Handle with Care referral to a participating school district at a designated email address. Law enforcement personnel will share the names of the children and/or parents/guardians involved in the police contact as well as any other relevant information. The school district will designate staff to receive and manage the referrals and contact the school(s) in which the student(s) attends to provide referral notification to the school social worker, school counselor and/or school administrator.
As appropriate, the school social worker, school counselor, or school administrator will notify the child’s teacher and other relevant school personnel of the Handle with Care referral with suggestions of how to best support the child during the school day. If needed, this school team may follow-up with the student to offer individualized supports or services. In some instances, this team may also reach out to the student’s parents/guardians to offer additional support or help coordinate referrals to other community supports and/or resources.
Handle with Care is a trauma-informed intervention that recognizes that trauma is present in the lives of young people and prepares school staff on how to best support trauma-exposed youth and help disrupt the cycle of trauma in our community.
