WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2023
3:00 - 4:30 p.m. PT
[Find your local time zone here]
Workshop 1 of 5 in the "Back to School Sessions" Workshop Series (view series page for full details)
Study Session: A Practical Guide for Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach
The Framework
In June 2023, SAMHSA released the updated and expanded practical guide from the 2014 Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach Resource. Drawing on the domains of trauma-informed work, the new guide offers implementation strategies.
Join PS MHTTC School Mental Health Field Director Leora Wolf-Prusan and Trauma Informed Educator Network founder Mathew Portell on August 9, 2023 for an interactive study session. Together, we’ll familiarize ourselves with the guide by 1) defining trauma, trauma-informed care, and connected terminology; 2) identifying resources to support our work; and 3) exploring the guide’s case study of Fall-Hamilton Elementary School in Nashville, TN (at which Mathew used to be the principal!). Walk away with deeper fluency in trauma-informed language, ideas for moving the work forward in your environment, and connections to other trauma-informed practitioners
Audience: Educators, school site leaders, school mental health professionals, youth advocates, trauma-informed professionals, and anyone interested.
Mathew Portell, MEd (he/his)As an educator, administrator, podcaster, writer, and international speaker, Mathew has utilized his experience to impact education globally as an innovator and pioneer of trauma-informed education. During his tenure as the principal of Fall-Hamilton Elementary in Nashville, TN, he utilized the most current neuroscience to transform the school into an international model school for trauma-informed practices. His interest in trauma-informed education led him to start the Trauma Informed Educators Network, a global network of over 31,000 practitioners, which he supports with a weekly podcast and yearly conference. Mathew’s passion and experience have made him a globally sought-after keynote speaker and facilitator. He is currently the Director of Education and Outreach at PACEs Connection; Portell supports cross-sector community collaboration to inform and support the development of resilient and trauma-informed communities. Portell has received several recognitions for his work, but the most notable was the Elementary Principal of the Year, in 2021, for Metro Nashville Public Schools, which serves nearly 90,000 students. He is a proud graduate of Tennessee State University, where he received his B.A. and M. Ed. He completed his administrative licensure at Trevecca University and his Trauma and Resilience Certification, Level One and Two, from Florida State University.
Leora Wolf-Prusan, EdD (she/hers)Leora Wolf-Prusan is the School Mental Health Field Director for the Pacific Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, a project of SAMHSA that provides no-cost professional development to support the school mental health workforce in the Pacific Islands, Hawaii, California, Nevada, and Arizona. She also serves as the project director for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Category II site, the School Crisis Recovery & Renewal project (SCRR), formerly served as the field director for a SAMHSA Now is the Time Initiative, ReCAST (Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma), and in addition to these national grants, she provides consulting and training for numerous other clients around issues related to school climate and positive youth development, educator mental health and wellness, and trauma-informed approaches to education. Leora works for the Center for Applied Research Solutions (the home of all these projects), lives in the Bay Area of California (unceded Ohlone land), and is a new parent to a brilliant little human.
