Better Together receives $1.5 million for ‘Culture of Care’ in schools

Better Together, a regional partnership focused on increasing student success, has received a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the Central Oregon Health Council to develop and strengthen trauma-informed cultures across education systems in Central Oregon.

The project is focused on implementing region-wide trauma-informed training, coaching and policies for local education systems from early learning through higher education, the organizations said in a news release issued Tuesday, which continues below:

This is a pivotal partnership between Central Oregon’s health and education sectors to ensure children, youth and young adults are educated in environments designed for them to excel.

“We know that success in education is a critical factor in long-term health outcomes”, says Donna Mills, executive director of COHC. “The health council is thrilled to be partnering with local education leaders to build systems that address the impacts of childhood trauma through a Culture of Care in schools.”

The funding will go to training over 3,000 education professionals in the region in trauma-informed practices, bringing on three full-time trauma-informed coaches to lead ongoing professional learning, and implementing an annual trauma-informed summit in the region.

Core partners involved in this work include the six school districts in Central Oregon, TRACEs, OSU-Cascades, COCC, the Early Learning Hub of Central Oregon, Jefferson County ESD, High Desert ESD, and multiple health and education service providers. Each of these stakeholders plays a critical role in the Better Together partnership, working across sectors to increase student success.

“This project is the result of true collective impact and alignment between health and education leaders dedicated to seeing Central Oregon students thrive. It is a pivotal milestone in cross-sector collaboration for our region”, said Katie Condit, executive director for Better Together.

Research is clear about the potential negative impacts of childhood trauma on education and long-term health outcomes. Education systems across the country are turning towards trauma-informed practices to mitigate those negative impacts and better support students.

The goal of this work is to ensure young people are educated in environments with adults that understand how the symptoms of trauma manifest and who have the skills and resources to respond to students in ways that keep them safe and engaged in school.

“Our teachers are incredible educators, and ensuring our schools are creating Cultures of Care for students has been a priority for Bend-La Pine Schools for over four years. This project is a game-changer in that it will allow us to accelerate that work significantly,” said Shay Mikalson, Superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools.

Both COHC and Better Together are focused on bridging gaps that exist across sectors to increase overall community health and well-being.

COHC has adopted widely recognized social determinants of health from education outcomes as early as Kindergarten Readiness, and is committed to funding upstream initiatives that have long-term, positive impacts on community health outcomes.

Better Together prioritizes nine core education outcomes from cradle to career that impact long-term health, and recognizes that increasing these outcomes for students requires partnership with healthcare experts. Students can’t learn if they aren’t healthy and don’t have their basic needs met.

“Teachers and staff are trained to excel at educating students, and this is where they thrive. Partnerships with the health sector are critical, however, for meeting the needs of the whole child. As a school district, we can’t do that alone. This initiative to create a Culture of Care in our schools is paramount to ensuring we meet the needs of every student we serve, says Mike McIntosh, superintendent of Redmond School District.

The truth about childhood trauma is that it is multifaceted and comes in many forms. From historical trauma that is based in systems of oppression to trauma that occurs from family separation, child abuse, addiction, and many other factors, students across Central Oregon and the country are impacted.

For more information on the causes and impacts of trauma, and the various ways our region is working to build resilience, you can visit http://tracesco.org/ .

“We are invested in trauma-informed training and practices across our schools in Jefferson County. This initiative will allow us to increase much-needed capacity to provide the resources our staff need to support students across our county,” shares Ken Parshall, superintendent of Jefferson County School District and Jefferson County ESD.

Importantly, this initiative includes education systems that work with children beginning at birth. We know that much of what impacts the education and health trajectory of a child happens before they enter kindergarten. The adults that children interact with early in life make a difference. Therefore, training and resources will be extended to early learning providers across the region as well.

“We have to invest in professional development for early learning providers in Central Oregon. This funding provides a unique opportunity to streamline training between early learning and K-12 systems to increase continuity in the support that children and families experience,” said Brenda Comini, director of the Early Learning Hub of Central Oregon.

This is a significant step in what is sure to be a strong and ongoing partnership between health and education in our region. COHC and Better Together are committed to ensuring children, youth and families in our region thrive, and alignment is the most impactful way to do that.