4 Habits for Teachers to Help with Student Stress Trauma and toxic stress aren’t always rooted in the obvious. In many cases there is not just one thing that has happened but a constant experience of stress related to multiple exposures. As we... Continue reading.
6 Simple Tips for Building Relationships with Students
Building relationships with students is the most important thing you can do as an educator. It can be the strongest factor in reducing incidents of anxiety, depression, suicide, substance abuse, and violence. Additionally, Starr has witnessed... Continue reading.
Starr Commonwealth Achieves Expedited National Accreditation
Starr Commonwealth has achieved national accreditation through the New York-based Council on Accreditation (COA). Upon review of Starr’s policies, procedures and programs over the past three years, COA’s peer review team recommended expedited... Continue reading.
Rejection: The Crisis of Belonging
Belonging - I am important to someone and they want to know what my life is like – not only what I need help with but what my strengths are too. The power and influence of positive human relationships in fostering resilience cannot be... Continue reading.
The Silent Pandemic of Grief
I want to take a moment to acknowledge the grief, loss, pain and trauma experienced by so many over the past two years – it is impossible for me to put its severity and intensity into words. Many of us have experienced our own personal adversity... Continue reading.
Starr Commonwealth Named Amongst Best NonProfits to Work for in 2022
Starr Commonwealth has been ranked nationally as the 20th best nonprofit to work for in 2022 by The NonProfit Times. This is the third consecutive year the leader in healing trauma and building resilience in children was named to the list, which... Continue reading.
Starr Opens Student Resilience and Empowerment Center in Battle Creek
Starr Commonwealth, in partnership with Summit Pointe, Battle Creek Family YMCA, and participating area schools, has opened the Student Resilience and Empowerment Center housed within the Battle Creek Family YMCA. The program’s purpose is to... Continue reading.
Prolonged Stress Response in War
Our hearts are with the children and families in Ukraine who are experiencing the trauma and upheaval of war. The bombardment of Kyiv has plunged 3.4 million individuals – nearly 510,000 of them children – into a state of terror. Exposure to... Continue reading.
Kenneth Ponds Named Vice President of Oneness and Special Advisor to the President
To further Starr Commonwealth’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, Kenneth Ponds has been named to the newly created position of vice president of oneness and special advisor to the president. As an executive member of the cabinet... Continue reading.
Starr Commonwealth Awarded Grant from Branch County Community Foundation for Continued Union City Resilient Schools Project
Starr Commonwealth has been awarded $2,400 from the Branch County Community Foundation Forever Fund to enter phase 3 of the Union City Resilient Schools Project, which supports trauma-informed and resilience-focused experiences between students,... Continue reading.
Infant and Toddler Trauma
The field of trauma and resilience has accelerated over the past two decades. We now know how trauma and stress negatively affect children as young as infancy and preschool age. Despite abundant research, many well-educated and caring adults... Continue reading.
Meet the Clinician: Sara Gariepy
My name is Sara, I’m an occupational therapist specializing in the treatment of children who have experienced trauma at any stage in development. My focus is addressing regulation through a sensory-based intervention approach. My goal for the... Continue reading.
Noticing and 5 to 1 Interactions
Did you notice all of your students today? There is tremendous power in noticing. When you strive to notice kids several times each day on a consistent basis, it will help you foster connections in your classroom and reinforce each student's... Continue reading.
Meet the Clinician: Becca Gerlach, LMSW CAAC
Welcome to Starr Behavioral Health! My name is Becca Gerlach, and I am the Director of Behavioral Health here at Starr. My specialty areas are LGBTQIA+ adolescents and adults, adult survivors of childhood trauma, and addictions. I also offer... Continue reading.
Connections Assessments
One of the strongest protective factors to foster resilience in children is to feel a strong connection to at least one caring adult in any part of their life – home, extended family, school, community, etc. As students return to school, the... Continue reading.