Governor Whitmer’s executive order no. 2020-35, “Provision of K-12 education during the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year” was enacted the first week of April. In this order, schools are called on to provide plans for continuity of learning and COVID-19 response including:
B. A Plan must include all of the following elements and be consistent with the requirements of this order:
13. Provide mental health supports to pupils affected by a state of emergency or state of disaster prompted by COVID-19
At Starr Commonwealth, we’ve been working with Michigan schools for decades to provide the exact care called for by Governor Whitmer. During this time of crisis, we are well prepared to work with schools to deliver services according to their exact needs. This includes telehealth services for students, families, and staff, as well as training and consulting (both live via conference call and online courses) for staff in order to best support the mental health of students. Starr even offers programming to help schools reintegrate students back into school in the fall following the trauma of the pandemic.
Governor Whitmer's executive order calls for an additional 5 days of training for your staff. We know the implementation of these services can be a challenging area, and Starr Commonwealth is here to help.
Starr Commonwealth offerings include:
Telehealth Service for Students and Staff
Starr Behavioral Health’s telehealth services provide trauma-informed and resilience-focused assessment protocols and interventions to heal trauma, and are ready to serve your students or staff. Regardless of insurance status, we may still be able to help!
Administration Consulting
- Implementing screening tools
- Administrative District Alignment with Trauma-Informed Best practices
- Review Discipline Matrix to be trauma-informed
- Administrative Consults on creating teams and meeting structures
- Creating a culture of Self-care
Crisis Intervention/Defusing
A virtual structured group intervention process
The process is supportive and educational. Its purpose is not to process or explore feelings, nor to allow for the ventilation of feelings (this happens 1:1 and after 4 weeks has passed). Why? This process prevents participants from revealing more about themselves than they wish to in a group and also protects the other participants from being exposed to others emotional intensity that may further regulate them.
Educational Staff Coaching
- Implementing Circle of Courage
- Strategies to support each Universal Need
- Aligning PBIS with trauma-informed best practices
- Understand the neuroscience of trauma and resilience
- Social emotional learning tools
- Mindfulness in schools
- Brain breaks plans and tools
- Implementing comfort corners
- Meeting sensory needs
- Connecting with parents and families
- Social emotional lessons
- Circle of Courage activities/discussions
- Weekly mindfulness lessons
- weekly movement/brain break lessons
- How to navigate crisis and stress
- Creating a Resilience Room – intentional process to support regulation and build tools for coping
- Starr’s Trauma- Informed Behavior Support Plan
- Implementing Structures and Systems to Support Safety
- Restorative Practices
- Pro-active Circle
- Restorative Circles
- Strength based language/Reframing
- Time-in vs. time-out
- Consequences vs. Punishment
- Healing the Experience of Trauma Program Implementation
