GLOUCESTER – The City of Gloucester and Health Director Max Schenk are pleased to share that staff from Gloucester Public Schools and the Gloucester Police Department participated in training to help them recognize and respond to trauma in ways consistent with the city’s efforts to support the mental health of all.
On Monday, March 28 and Tuesday, March 29, training was provided to 53 officers of the Gloucester Police Department, and on Tuesday, March 29 training was provided to over 100 Gloucester Public Schools staff members, including the faculty of Gloucester High School and district-wide clinical staff members. The training is part of an ongoing effort to support mental health in a trauma-sensitive way for members of the community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, for those facing economic and social hardships, and for those with a history of personal trauma.
Funding for the training was provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMSHA) Partnership for Success Grant.
The training seeks to strengthen skills in trauma recognition and response, by utilizing trauma-informed care as an approach when engaging with youth and adults that may have histories of trauma. The training develops skills to recognize the presence of trauma symptoms, acknowledge the role that trauma can play in people’s lives, and to avoid re-traumatization.
Partnerships across systems can help develop trauma-sensitive responses and link individuals to appropriate services and treatment, and is why this cross-sector approach is being utilized in the City of Gloucester.
“In trauma-informed training, a whole school approach is often the emphasis, but we believe it needs to be a community-wide approach,” said Gloucester Public Schools Director of Mental Health Amy Kamm. “That is why we are so excited about what we are doing in this area — working collaboratively with the Health Department and the Police Department in partnership with district schools in order to have not only a shared understanding of the trauma kids have or are experiencing, but more importantly how we respond and support our kids in every interaction.”
Joel Risticcia from the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative delivered training to School Department staff. The training focused on setting a framework for a whole-school trauma approach that compliments individual supports, while also covering school-wide and classroom-based strategies for staff.
Training for police officers was provided by Scott Allen and Ed Jacoubs from Operation 2 Save Lives (O2SL) and QRT National. The training focused on educating officers on the impact of trauma, the ways it can affect their service to the community, and on building support for trauma-sensitive School and Police collaboration. Officers were also provided information and tools they can use for both themselves and those they serve as they respond to traumatic incidents.
“Thanks to the support of SAMSHA, we have been able to offer this new training opportunity which builds on our previous efforts to support mental health in our community,” said Mayor Greg Verga. “Both the School Department and the Police Department have embraced this training and eagerly joined our efforts to create a community-wide response to mental-health issues and a community-wide effort to improve services.”
“This training and CIT Training are essential tools that help 21st-century police officers navigate the challenges they face with compassion, professionalism, and trauma-informed solutions that benefit the community members we are tasked with serving and protecting,” said Police Chief Edward Conley. “I am thankful that this grant funding and the tremendous support we receive from the City of Gloucester have helped our department take another step forward on the path to improving mental health outcomes throughout our community.”
Previous training in this area was provided at Veterans Memorial School, where Principal Matt Fusco has integrated a trauma-informed approach to school culture with recommendations from the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative.
School Department staff also have been trained, using funding from the SAMSHA Partnership for Success Grant, in Skill Building for Trauma Response, Core Concepts of Psychological First Aid, Trauma 101, and Vicarious Trauma.
Grant funds have been used to support 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team Training for Gloucester Police officers. CIT Training focuses on building de-escalation skills and appropriate responses to mental health crises in the community.
Additional training is already being planned, with the next phases of the city’s efforts to focus on working with schools and School Resource Officers to advance school and police collaboration as a Handle with Care program is implemented in Gloucester Public Schools. Training sessions for the Gloucester Fire Department are also being planned in furtherance of the City’s community-wide approach.
