Addressing the Long-term Impact of Environmental PTSD, Trauma and Mental Illness for Students in Non-traditional Instructional Settings

Zawadaski Robinson • Cahn Fellow 2020

Chronic and persistent exposure to environmental trauma during early childhood and adolescents often results in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, which significantly increases the risk for academic struggles (or failure) and/or emotional/behavioral struggles and disorders. At Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron New Beginnings Academy 98% of students have been greatly impacted by environmental trauma, which has disrupted their mental health, social-emotional well-being, and academic success. Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron New Beginnings Academy was once known as the academically lowest performing and most behaviorally dysfunctional setting in the city of Atlanta. Through transformational leadership, strategic planning, and data-driven practices the school continues to beat the odds and has become an oasis of academic and behavioral hope for students and families. Although students and the school have made significant gains and past stigmas have diminished, the question still remains of how to support students’ long-term success that appears to be directly correlated to their persistent trauma and environmental PTSD-related struggles. The data reflected a critical need for increased school-based therapeutic support staff and increased staff competencies in understanding and supporting the needs of students with emotional/behavioral struggles and/or academic struggles secondary to trauma. To impact long-term change and enhanced student outcomes, targeted supports, strategic social-emotional learning practices, community partnerships, staff professional development, and whole-family supports have been key components of the initiatives to positively impact long-term student outcomes.