The Grants Pass School District is committed to creating system-wide trauma-informed practices in all of our schools and facilities. But what does it mean to be "trauma-informed?” Based on the latest brain science, we now know that most of us experience some form of adversity, sometimes to such a degree that our body will change and adapt to the adversity--that is, our bodies adapt to our surroundings so that we can be resilient. The name for this comes from a study called ACES, or Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. This often is evident in the way that we face daily issues, usually in a quick fight, flight, or freeze response. Unfortunately, this often also means that our biology does not match our societal expectations very well. For students, this may mean that there is more difficulty sitting in a classroom environment or it is difficult to self-regulate. For adults, this may mean difficulty holding down a job. Adapting to adversity can often result in serious health problems in adulthood. The good news is that understanding how our bodies adapt can really help all of us to become resilient despite those difficulties. The understanding of how we adapt is leading to great hope for families where none existed before.

In order to help all of the students in our care become resilient, the district has researched several ways for school staff to be well-informed and well-trained to support our students and families. To see those evidence-based programs, click here. The District recommends that all staff in a school site be engaged in some way in trauma-informed practices so that each school community is building resilience in both staff and students.

For more information regarding ACES or school-wide staff development around adversity, please contact Todd Bloomquist at the Grants Pass District Office. He can be reached by phone at (541) 474-5715 or by email at tbloomquist@grantspass.k12.or.us.