Mental Health training a top priority

LENOIR, NC (February 21, 2019) — With the rise of mental health needs prevalent among middle and high school students across the country, mental health for both students and personnel has become a top priority in the Caldwell County Schools.

“A key professional development focus this year has been on understanding trauma and its long-term impact on health and educational outcomes,” said Jill Duffy, Student Support Services Director.

Caldwell County, with multiple agency collaboration, has been selected to participate in the Trauma-Informed Communities Initiative to provide training to multiple agencies. The Caldwell County Collaborative received one of only three grants awarded for this important work funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration through the NC Department of Health and Human Services.   

As part of the grant, a free, full-day interactive training was held this Wednesday to address effective practices and evidence-based treatments. Principals, student support services personnel, and school district administration attended the training session along with personnel from Vaya Health, local service providers, and other counties in the region. The event was presented by the Center for Child & Family Health as part of the NC Trauma Informed Communities Initiative.

Some of the specific learning objectives included the differences between trauma informed screening, assessment and treatment as well as identifying traumatic stress, toxic stress, and trauma-informed child and family service systems. In order to tailor the needs of future training sessions specifically for this community, a needs assessment survey is made available through the grant for employees of the Caldwell County Schools, Department of Social Services, Juvenile Court, mental health agencies, and the medical community. The results will be presented at the Caldwell County Child Mental Health Collaborative on April 7 at the Freedman Professional Development Center. 

Duffy said, “As we continue planning and providing training for multiple agencies, we will critically examine our awareness of children with mental health needs, evidence-based practices and services and support in our community.”