NEW HAVEN, Conn., April 4, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (New England MHTTC) Network, one of the 10 Regional Centers of the MHTTC Network, announced today the 23 Fellows who will support the Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative (C-TLC). The C-TLC Fellows Program, under the auspices of the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH), builds upon the New England MHTTC's work to help teachers, administrators, and other school staff vision, plan, and monitor implementation of compassionate practices that ameliorate the effects of trauma, amplify protective factors, and increase the availability of educated and nurturing adults and teachers within schools who can meet the mental health needs of students.
Yale PRCH, a program at Yale Medical School's Department of Psychiatry, works with systems, organizations, communities and individuals to strengthen their capacity to deliver effective, culturally responsive, recovery-oriented practices centering the lived experiences of people in recovery. Through the New England MHTTC's C-TLC initiative, PRCH is collaborating with the Center for Educational Improvement (CEI)—a leading nonprofit organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that identifies, shares, and applies 21st century innovations in learning. C-TLC Fellows will serve as local champions who support the dissemination of trauma-informed, child-centered interventions that improve resilience, learning and achievement for children who have experienced trauma in the six states that comprise the New England MHTTC Region One area: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Each C-TLC Fellow will participate in monthly webinars and have access to resources on school-based mental health. Fellows will assist in strategic planning and communications within their state to alleviate the impact of trauma and help schools understand their role in building supportive classrooms to help children who are most at-risk.
As a part of this effort, C-TLC Fellows are also inviting at least 20 schools in their states to take the School Compassionate Culture Analytic Tool for Educators (S-CCATE) and become a member of the broader C-TLC initiative. The S-CCATE is a brief, validated, online assessment tool uniquely designed to help schools gauge social connections and concrete support to enhance children's social-emotional development and capacity. This approach strengthens, values, and increases social-emotional competence, accelerates learning, and develops a sense of well-being for students, teachers, and the wider school community. The results of the S-CCATE will be used to develop evidence-based, trauma-informed, locally applicable interventions for use by C-TLC Fellows and their school communities.
In a statement to the inaugural C-TLC Fellows, Yale PRCH Director Larry Davidson, Ph.D. said, "The goal of PRCH is to transform behavioral health programs, agencies, and systems to be culturally responsive and re-oriented to facilitating the recovery and social inclusion of the individuals, families, and communities they serve. We are pleased to expand our work with schools and educators to include a technology-based tool, the S-CCATE, designed to help administrators, teachers, and other school staff enhance the culture of compassion in school communities."
Schools in the New England area are invited to contact CEI's Director of Communications and Development Ingrid Padgett vial email or phone ([email protected]; 1-800-994-6441) for more information on the broader initiatives of the Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative and opportunities to bring the S-CCATE Assessment tools to their school communities.
About the New England MHTTC
Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the MHTTC Network includes 10 Regional Centers, a National American Indian and Alaskan Native Center, a National Hispanic and Latino Center, and a Network Coordinating Office. The purpose of the MHTTC Network is technology transfer—disseminating and implementing evidence-based practices for mental disorders into the field. Our collaborative network supports resource development and dissemination, training and technical assistance, and workforce development for the mental health field. We work with systems, organizations, and treatment practitioners involved in the delivery of mental health services to strengthen their capacity to deliver effective evidence-based practices to individuals. For more information about the New England MHTTC's programs and services, visit mhttcnetwork.org/newengland.
About the Center for Educational Improvement
Founded in 2010, the Center for Educational Improvement's mission is to support and uplift schools through 21st century learning and leadership. CEI believes every child, regardless of zip code, deserves to attend a great school. The organization is dedicated to translating the latest education research into practical solutions educators can use to "fast track" academic progress. CEI's efforts support school leaders and educators as they work with their communities to create a 21st century vision for their schools and a culture and context for students to become enthusiastic life-long learners and leaders. For more information about CEI, visit http://www.edimprovement.org.
Our Fellows
The Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative 2019 Fellows are a diverse group of educational leaders—including assistant superintendents, principals and assistant principals, school psychologists and counselors, social workers, and teachers—from each of the six states in the New England region. Following, is a complete listing of our 2019 C-TLC Fellows.
CONNECTICUT
Caroline Blasco, School Psychologist
Bridgeport Public Schools
Susie Da Silva, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Curriculum and Instruction
Darien Public Schools
Erik Dey, Ed.D., Teacher
Westport Public Schools
Heather Pach, School Psychologist
Cheshire Public Schools
MASSACHUSETTS
Joelle Brookner, Principal
Williamstown Elementary School
Lisa Parker, LICSW, School Social Worker
Cumberland Public Schools
Kathryn Retzel, Principal
Lee Elementary School
Alison Sumski, Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition Program Support Specialist
Methuen School District
MAINE
Benjamin Brigham, Technology Integration Coach
Westbrook School District
Jaime Ela, Principal
Libby Tozier and Sabattus Primary School
Kristen Levesque, Ed.D., Principal
Maranacook Middle School
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Stacy Bachelder-Giles, Principal
Broad Street Elementary School
Andrea Elliot, Principal
Bishop Brady High School
Jim O'Rourke, Principal
Hillsboro-Deering Cooperative School District
Jennifer Scarpati, Ph.D., Principal
Amherst Street Elementary School
RHODE ISLAND
Jacqueline Ash, Principal
Charles E. Shea High School
Kirsten Hanrahan, School Social Worker
Portsmouth School Department
Amy Mello Messenger, School Social Worker
Providence School District
Rachel Santa, Ed.D., Director of Special Services
B.F. Norton Elementary School
VERMONT
JoanAnn Cavallo, Principal
St. Albans City School and Maple Run Unified School District
Erica McLaughlin, Principal
Randolph Elementary School
Pamela Reed, Associate Principal
Rutland City Public Schools
Ryan McKenney, Principal
Philip W. Suggs Middle School
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© 2019 New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (New England MHTTC) Network
SOURCE Center for Educational Improvement
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