Support Structure
On a frigid morning this past March, Jo Carrigan, principal of Denver Public Schools' Doull Elementary School in Harvey Park, stood on a blacktop playground as students streamed into the red brick building. As evidenced by the elaborate hairstyles, shimmery party dresses, and clip-on ties, it was school picture day. Carrigan complimented students on their outfits as she guided them around an icy spot on the pavement. Inside the building, up a flight of stairs, two more staff members greeted the throngs, offering singsongy “good mornings” and warm “hellos.”
While the welcoming committee might seem organic, the ritual is actually carefully orchestrated. Carrigan (pictured) and her staff strive to ensure that each child at Doull has positive interactions with multiple adults at the school every day. Common sense would suggest that this should be an unwritten rule at every place of learning; however, it is particularly integral here, because five years ago the K 5 school successfully began implementing what's now known in education circles as a “trauma-informed” initiative.
Education is full of buzzwords, but trauma-informed care isn't specific to the education sector. Child welfare agencies, the justice system, and health care providers have long understood the merits of recognizing and responding to the impacts of trauma in children's lives. As awareness of the effects of childhood trauma on
