Equipping school officials to help students deal with traumatic experiences

BLISSFIELD, Michigan-If students seem reluctant to express themselves in her English class at Blissfield High School, Ylisse Yépez privately talks to them to validate their feelings. The students might be dealing with a traumatic situation in school or at home-so she does not force them to interact. It's a delicate situation, but this supportive act by Yépez creates a safer environment for students through Trauma-Informed Programs and Practices for Schools, also known as TIPPS. The program-a partnership between school professionals and University of Michigan School of Social Work experts-has benefitted students dealing with difficult situations and given teachers and counselors the tools to support them. "I have this awareness that students don't just exhibit behaviors because they want to act out,- she said. "There are reasons why they present the things that they do and exhibit the behaviors that they do. So we like to rely on positive solutions rather than punitive discipline.