Trauma-informed schools
Trauma-informed schools include trauma-informed strategies and education for all students (tier 1), supplemental supports for some students (tier 2), and intensive interventions for students exposed to trauma (tier 3). Trauma-informed schools are designed to address student mental health, staff support and knowledge, school climate, and whole school functioning1. Trauma-informed schools are grounded in several core principles that build safe and consistent learning environments, positive behavior management, trust-based relationships, cultural responsiveness, and social-emotional learning2, 3, 4. In practice, these principles are implemented through multi-component interventions that span revised disciplinary policies, school-wide trauma education, staff training and self-care, comprehensive mental health systems, family engagement, routine screening, and individualized intensive supports (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy or wrap around services) for students exhibiting trauma symptoms. Trauma-informed schools often develop community partnerships to support these efforts and collaborate across child services to coordinate care1, 4, 5. Trauma-informed school policies can be implemented at the local, district, and/or state level4.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events associated with abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, or social adversity6, 7, 8. Two-thirds of children will experience at least one ACE by age 16, both in the U.S.9 and worldwide10. One national survey of high school students suggests 3 out of 4 students have experienced one or more ACEs and nearly 1 out of 5 students have experienced 4 or more ACEs7.
Trauma exposure among children and adolescents can increase traumatic stress symptoms including anxiety, emotional distress, and depression, and has been associated with behavior changes, difficulty sleeping, and difficulty concentrating in school11. Traumatic stress symptoms can develop into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or long-term extreme stress symptoms such as recurring flashbacks or nightmares, emotional numbing, or specific traumatic triggers11.
Trauma care in schools can be conceptualized along a continuum, beginning with trauma-sensitive practices that acknowledge and raise awareness about trauma, followed by trauma-informed practices that educate school staff and communities about the effects of trauma, and finally trauma-responsive practices that proactively change policies and systems to promote healing and prevent re-traumatization. This strategy uses the term trauma-informed to refer to all three stages.
What could this strategy improve?
Expected Benefits
Our evidence rating is based on the likelihood of achieving these outcomes:
Reduced trauma symptom severity
Increased understanding of trauma
Increased use of trauma-informed practices
Potential Benefits
Our evidence rating is not based on these outcomes, but these benefits may also be possible:
Increased resilient recovery
Improved social emotional skills
Improved student attendance
Improved youth behavior
Increased high school completion
What does the research say about effectiveness?
There is strong evidence that school-wide trauma-informed interventions reduce trauma symptom severity among students9, 12. Additionally, there is strong evidence that the components of trauma-informed schools, programs implemented to support tiers 1, 2, or 3 of trauma-informed schools, improve student outcomes13, 14, 15. Trauma-informed schools are especially beneficial among younger children who have been exposed to violence; such interventions improve academic achievement, social-emotional learning, emotional development, and resilient recovery5, 16. School-wide trauma-informed interventions increase understanding of trauma and use of multi-component trauma-informed practices among school staff and teachers5, 9, 12, 17, 18. Additional evidence is needed to confirm effects on some student outcomes and to understand the most effective ways to implement school-wide trauma-informed interventions9, 14.
School-wide trauma-informed interventions can increase student resilient recovery, emotional development and coping skills, ability to concentrate, attendance, and academic achievement5, 17. Interventions are associated with increased high school completion rates19, improved classroom behavior, and improved emotional and physical safety for students in urban, suburban, and rural areas17, 20, 21. School-wide trauma-informed interventions can improve learning environments, student attachment to schools, and teacher-student relationships17. Trauma-informed interventions in early childhood education settings can improve student behavioral outcomes, social-emotional skills, communication skills, and interpersonal skills16, though more information is needed on long-term effects among young children22. School-wide trauma-informed programs may also enhance bullying prevention efforts and address students’ social-emotional and mental health needs23. Over the long term, trauma-informed interventions are associated with decreased office discipline referrals (ODRs), physical aggression incidents, and out-of-school suspensions17, 19, as well as decreases in violence and interactions with the criminal justice system5.
Each tier included in trauma-informed schools has research that shows improvements in several student outcomes14. For example, school-based social and emotional instruction is a common tier 1 intervention in trauma-informed schools, which increases academic achievement24, 25 and prosocial behavior, and improves mental health outcomes26, 27. Another common tier 1 intervention, School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS), improves students’ behavior28, 29, 30, 31, 32. Trauma-informed schools often use cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) interventions for groups in tier 2 interventions and for individuals in tier 3 interventions. CBT interventions have been shown to improve mental health among students13, 14. Individual and group CBT has been shown to decrease symptoms of childhood anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression14, 15, 33, 34.
Trauma-informed training for all teachers and staff helps them recognize behaviors that may be reactions to trauma and prepares them to assist and refer students to support services and meet students’ social, emotional, and behavioral needs5, 16, 18, 35. Experts recommend providing progressive professional development and training, not one-time training events, and establishing routinely available mental health supports for staff and teachers9. Continued support and resources for teachers are needed, since increased awareness of trauma can increase stress and mental health needs among teachers18, 36. Without training and support, teachers face many challenges for implementing trauma-informed interventions, including difficulty supporting all students with and without trauma exposures, managing behavior issues, communicating with families, setting appropriate boundaries for their professional roles, ensuring their own safety, taking care of their own well-being, and avoiding emotional fatigue36. Experts suggest providers of professional development and training services need to help professional staff understand strategies to address traumatic experiences without retraumatizing students3. Trauma-informed practices should be culturally sensitive and introduced carefully to build teacher investment and avoid defensive reactions to the suggested changes37. State boards can update effective teaching standards to include preservice training about trauma-informed practices and provide funding and training on trauma-informed practices for current teachers and staff2.
Available evidence suggests that successful and sustainable school-wide trauma-informed interventions include professional development, stakeholder engagement, staff and teacher buy-in, leadership support, and comprehensive planning38, as well as support for social-emotional well-being and mental health through sustained funding, intentional hiring practices, and district-level policies39. Schools characterized by strong relationships between school staff and mental health professionals and a clear commitment to changing the school climate and culture through trauma-informed approaches appear to have greater effects than schools that do not35, 40. Trauma-informed schools that support both children and their families also have greater effects compared to those that do not5. Such interventions are more successful when they incorporate student feedback as well as family and cultural needs9. Although trauma-informed schools are more commonly implemented in K-12 schools, experts suggest culturally responsive, trauma-informed care can also be adapted for higher education settings41.
How could this strategy advance health equity? This strategy is rated potential to decrease disparities: suggested by expert opinion.
Experts suggest trauma-informed schools have the potential to decrease disparities in educational and disciplinary outcomes experienced by students of color and students from families with lower incomes1, 37. Trauma-informed school interventions can have an explicit focus on racial equity, for example, by ending exclusionary discipline practices and developing culturally inclusive curriculum1. Trauma-informed school interventions can address social justice issues of race, culture, and systemic oppression; however, most interventions are not yet evaluating racial equity outcomes at either the student or school level. More research is needed to evaluate the effects of trauma-informed schools on racial equity outcomes such as student disciplinary actions, academic achievement, and safety perception1, 55.
Exclusionary discipline policies frequently retraumatize and criminalize children of color56, 57, 58, 59. Research has established the negative effects of exclusionary discipline on student outcomes such as academic achievement, mental health, substance abuse, relationships, future suspensions, and criminal justice system involvement56, 59. In the U.S., exclusionary discipline policies disproportionately affect students of color, a population group that also experiences disproportionately high rates of trauma. Ending exclusionary discipline policies, incorporating racial equity in mental health practices and discipline decision making, and using trauma-informed interventions that provide social-emotional support for students can improve student outcomes58, 59.
Experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is associated with increased mental health struggles, increased prescription opioid misuse, and increased suicide behaviors among high school students7, 60. One national report of high school students under 18 suggests students identifying as multiracial, Native, female, or LGBTQIA+ report experiencing the highest number of ACEs7. Over 60% of these students report experiencing emotional abuse and over 30% report experiencing physical abuse7. In the U.S., Black youth experience disproportionately more ACEs than all other racial or ethnic groups with some estimates suggesting 61% of Black children in the U.S. experience ACEs before the age of 18 compared to 40% of white children61.
Schools can adopt a culturally informed understanding of ACEs that includes historical trauma, racism, and current experiences of children of color to reduce racial trauma experienced in schools themselves and to understand the broader systems that cause trauma61. Trauma-informed schools may be more successful reducing experiences of racial trauma and increasing education equity when incorporating culturally relevant education and culturally informed trauma programs in school-wide trauma-informed practices61. A pilot study of a school-wide trauma-informed project among Native students suggests trauma-informed programs can improve school staff attitudes and knowledge and improve student behavior when programs increase cultural understanding among teachers and staff, do not use exclusionary disciplinary practices, and address the impacts of historical colonization and trauma, continuing structural inequities, and current experiences for their students62. School-wide trauma-informed interventions can also improve education experiences for students with refugee backgrounds who have diverse languages, cultures, and experiences63.
School-wide trauma-informed interventions have shown positive effects among young children from families with low incomes and among children living in communities with high rates of violence5. Program evaluation reports highlight the need for trauma-informed interventions among students from low-income backgrounds and suggest that improvements in social-emotional skills take time64. One New York City-based study in low-income communities suggests children with lower levels of trauma may benefit more quickly from trauma-informed interventions than children with higher levels of trauma or on-going trauma experiences64.
School-wide trauma-informed programs can be beneficial for students in urban and rural areas65, 66. In many urban areas, communities have experienced disinvestment and concentrated poverty; children in these communities are frequently exposed to stress and trauma that negatively impacts academic achievement66. A study of urban school implementation of the trauma-informed Sanctuary Model suggests positive improvements addressing students’ trauma66. Trauma-informed programs are also suggested to help mitigate the effects of ACEs and reduce academic achievement gaps for students in rural areas65. Data shows that 25% of children in the U.S. attend school in rural areas and ACEs and trauma disproportionately affect rural schoolchildren65. In a rural Minnesota-based study, teacher and staff surveys and classroom observations suggest implementing the SAFE Model (Structured Approach to Formulating a trauma-informed Environment) helps schools meet the needs of students who have experienced trauma and improves student learning, behaviors, and relationships, which helps students who have experienced trauma improve academic achievement rather than falling behind their peers67.
Experts suggest schools designed for students with special education needs from communities experiencing poverty and a long history of disinvestment may benefit substantially from school-wide trauma-informed interventions since many of their students have higher exposure to trauma and ACEs68.
What is the relevant historical background?
Trauma experiences are exacerbated when combined with inequality, poverty, racism, or community violence69. The 1998 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) prevalence study and subsequent research found a strong association between early trauma experiences and several long-term behavioral, mental, and physical health issues11. In response in 2000, Congress established the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), which funded school-based trauma-informed care to increase services for children exposed to trauma and their families70, 71. The 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provided more resources for schools to implement trauma-informed policies and programming and to increase comprehensive school mental health services4. In 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives approved HR 443, a resolution that acknowledges the importance of trauma-informed care, designates May as national trauma awareness month, and designates the third Wednesday of May as national trauma awareness day4.
Children in the U.S. continue to be exposed to trauma and have many mental health and well-being challenges39, 72. In the 2010s and 2020s, across the U.S. schools experienced school shootings, community unrest in response to police shootings, the COVID-19 pandemic, and more awareness of persistent systemic inequalities6, 57. After the disproportionate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, many policymakers, researchers, and educators called for school-wide trauma-informed interventions to be combined with broader social justice and restorative justice efforts to address systemic and institutional oppression and to prevent ongoing trauma in youth populations11, 55, 56. Many schools and school districts expanded trauma-informed interventions with mental health and social-emotional support systems36, 39, 72. Over time definitions of ACEs developed to include multiple, different types of traumatic experiences. More sensitive screening processes aim to better serve youth populations with diverse trauma experiences11.
School environments without trauma-informed interventions can exacerbate student trauma and distress. Trauma-informed interventions can account for this possibility and be implemented with attention to social justice concerns and an understanding of issues of power and inequality69. In the 1960s, many educational theories falsely suggested that cultural deficits were responsible for academic achievement gaps between different groups. Experts suggest trauma-informed interventions need to be developed with care to avoid reanimating such theories and reinforcing negative stereotypes as explanations for why trauma experiences disproportionately affect students of color and students from families with lower incomes69, 72. Instead experts suggest trauma-informed interventions incorporate critical anti-racist and equity-focused practices72.
Equity Considerations
- How explicitly are equity practices included in trauma-informed interventions in your schools? How are your schools centering social and restorative justice practices as part of trauma-informed interventions?
- How are efforts to implement trauma-informed practices in schools in your community supported? What collaborations in your community could support trauma-informed school interventions?
- What kinds of professional development and training are available to support teachers and staff learning trauma-informed principles and practices? What on-going support is provided to teachers and staff providing trauma-informed care? Are mental health specialists, counselors, and support staff available for students and teachers?
Implementation Examples
Statewide initiatives in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin include laws that promote trauma-informed schools and cross-sector partnerships to reduce childhood trauma4. The Washington State Compassionate Schools Initiative and Massachusetts’ Flexible Framework Helping Traumatized Students Learn are examples of systematic frameworks that support trauma-informed schools42, 43. The National Conference of State Legislatures identified 15 states with 20 approved statutes and 18 states with nearly 40 bills that include support for trauma-informed practices, including trauma screening, teacher and staff training, and creating safe learning environments4. In 2004, the Massachusetts state legislature established the Safe and Supportive Learning Environments grant program for schools that implement trauma-informed practices and the Massachusetts Advocates for Children and the Harvard Law School partnered to create the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative that educates about, advocates for, researches, and supports trauma-informed schools4, 43. Several state departments of education include resources to address trauma, such as Illinois, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin44, 45, 46.
The California School-Based Health Alliance (CSHA) is a non-profit organization working across California, in 58 counties in 2025, to encourage more trauma-informed health services in schools, including implementing the HEARTS (Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools) intervention. HEARTS is a whole school, multi-tiered intervention for trauma-informed, safe, equitable school communities that actively works toward racial and social justice47.
The Safe Schools NOLA project implemented school-wide trauma-informed plans in six schools across New Orleans, which included teacher and staff training, leadership support, school mental health teams, and peer community support48. The University of Michigan’s Trauma-Informed Programs and Practices for Schools (TIPPS) program offers many resources, training, and implementation supports for schools to adopt trauma-informed practices49. The Jamestown School District in Jamestown, California encourages all adults working with children to use trauma-informed practices and provides information to assist administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and law enforcement50. The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin has adopted trauma-informed schools and trauma-informed care practices throughout the community51.
School preparation programs can also use comprehensive trauma-informed practices. For example, Trauma Smart is used in Head Start preschool programs in 26 counties across Missouri52.
Many resources for practitioners and trainers supporting trauma-informed schools are also available, including an MDRC brief on solutions for healing school systems using school-wide trauma-informed approaches53 and lessons learned from university-community partnerships that successfully supported school districts implementing trauma-informed practices54.
Implementation Resources
‡ Resources with a focus on equity.
NCSS-Toolkit 2021 - National Center for School Safety (NCSS). (2021). Trauma-informed, resilience-oriented schools toolkit. Accessed April 12, 2026.
NCTSN-School resources - The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). (n.d.). School trauma-informed systems: NCTSN resources. Accessed April 10, 2026.
CSHA-TIS - California School-Based Health Alliance (CSHA). (n.d.). Trauma-informed school interventions. Accessed April 12, 2026.
PACEs-TIC toolkits - PACEs Connection. Positive & adverse childhood experiences (PACEs): Trauma-informed care (TIC) toolkits.
CPI-TIC resources - Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI). The top 10 recommended trauma-informed care (TIC) online resources.
AIR-TIC - American Institutes for Research (AIR). Trauma-informed care (TIC).
NCSSLE-SCI Resources - National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE). School climate improvement (SCI) resource package.
NEA-TIS resources - National Education Association (NEA). (n.d.). Trauma-informed schools: Resources on trauma and trauma-informed practices. Accessed April 12, 2026.
IES-TIS - Institute of Education Sciences (IES). (n.d.). Menu of trauma-informed programs for schools. Accessed April 12, 2026.
Center-TIS - Center for Resiliency, Hope, and Wellness in Schools. Promoting trauma-informed school (TIS) systems that provide prevention and early intervention strategies that create supportive and nurturing school environments.
WI DPI-Resources for schools - Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (WI DPI). Resources for schools to help students affected by trauma learn.
WA OSPI-Heart of learning 2009 - State of Washington, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (WA OSPI). The heart of learning: Compassion, resiliency, and academic success. 2009.
CDC-School action guide 2023 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023). Promoting mental health and well-being in schools: An action guide for school and district leaders. Accessed April 13, 2026.
OJJDP-CEV - Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). (n.d.). Resources and programs: Children exposed to violence. Accessed April 12, 2026.
US ED-Safe schools - U.S. Department of Education (U.S. ED), Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Safe and supportive schools. Accessed April 12, 2026.
Footnotes
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1 Onipede 2024 - Onipede, Z. A., Park, A. L., & Lau, A. S. (2024). Common elements of trauma-informed schools and attention to racial equity: A scoping review. School Mental Health, 16(4), 1038–1051.
2 NASBE-Redding 2023 - Reddig, N., & VanLone, J. (2023). State leaders can ensure that more school staff are equipped to help children deal with the effects of trauma. National Association of State Boards of Education.
3 Koslouski 2022 - Koslouski, J. B., & Chafouleas, S. M. (2022). Key considerations in delivering trauma-informed professional learning for educators. Frontiers in Education, 7, 853020.
4 NASBE-Hoover 2019 - Hoover, S. A. (2019). Comprehensive mental health support makes students safer and better able to learn. National Association of State Boards of Education.
5 Badger 2026 - Badger, S., Wilkinson, D., & Chopra, I. (2026). A systematic review of the existing evidence on early year interventions for trauma and violence prevention. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 27(1), 203–214.
6 NCSL-Children mental health 2021 - National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). (2021). Report: Enhancing school capacity to support children’s mental health.
7 CDC MMWR-Swedo 2024 - Swedo, E. A., Pampati, S., Anderson, K. N., Thorne, E., McKinnon, I. I., Brener, N. D., Stinson, J., Mpofu, J. J., & Niolon, P. H. (2024). Adverse childhood experiences and health conditions and risk behaviors among high school students—Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2023. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, MMWR Supplements, 73(4), 39–50.
8 CDC-ACEs - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (n.d.). About adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Accessed April 13, 2026.
9 Phung 2022 - Phung, B. (2022). Potential challenges and future implications for trauma-informed approaches in schools. Frontiers in Education, 7, 1040980.
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39 RAND-Kennedy 2024 - Kennedy, K.E., & Walls, J. (2024). Social-emotional well-being for high school students: Guidance for school and system policy and practice. RAND Corporation.
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42 WA OSPI-Heart of learning 2009 - State of Washington, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (WA OSPI). The heart of learning: Compassion, resiliency, and academic success. 2009.
43 MAC-TLPI - Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC), Harvard Law School. Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative (TLPI).
44 IL SBE-Trauma - Illinois State Board of Education (IL SBE). Climate & culture: Trauma.
45 MA DOE-TSS - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MA DOE). Trauma-sensitive schools (TSS).
46 WI DPI-TSS - Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (WI DPI). Mental health and trauma sensitive schools (TSS): Wisconsin’s Trauma Sensitive Schools Initiative.
47 CSHA-HEARTS - California School-Based Health Alliance (CSHA). (n.d.). Core guiding principles for a trauma-informed school: HEARTS (Healthy environments and response to trauma in schools). Accessed April 12, 2026.
48 Tulane-Safe Schools NOLA - Tulane University. (n.d.). Safe Schools NOLA: Safe Schools New Orleans project and resources for schools and teachers. Accessed April 12, 2026.
49 UM-TIPPS - University of Michigan (UM). (n.d.). Trauma-informed programs and practices for schools (TIPPS). Accessed April 12, 2026.
50 Jamestown-Trauma - Jamestown School District. Trauma informed practices: Helping children heal through trauma-informed parenting and other informational links. Jamestown, California.
51 Menominee-TIC - Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. Menominee community ACE/TIC initiatives.
52 Trauma Smart - Trauma Smart. Trauma Smart: A program of Crittenton Children's Center.
53 MDRC-Portilla 2022 - Portilla, X. A. (2022). Healing school systems: Solutions for educational equity through social and emotional well-being. MDRC. Accessed April 13, 2026.
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