Presenter(s)

• Eliah Anderson
• Laurie Ford, Trainer, University of British Columbia

Abstract

Youth in rural areas experience high rates of trauma exposure, yet very few studies have explored specific mental health interventions for this population (James et al., 2017). Schools have long been identified as an ideal location to provide mental health supports (Rones & Hoagwood, 2000), and trauma-specific supports have been shown as an effective treatment for a range of trauma-related symptoms within the school setting (Nadeem et al., 2011). Trauma-informed practices acknowledge the impact that trauma may have on students and teachers and, in turn, uses that knowledge to guide policy and practice to increase the resilience and well-being of all school members. Teachers are vital to the implementation of trauma-informed practices within the school, yet their role in promoting universal trauma-informed practices remains unclear. This study used a mixed-methods, convergent design (Creswell & Zhang, 2009) to better understand teachers’ experiences supporting trauma-affected within rural elementary schools in Alaska. This poster focuses on the qualitative data in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with rural elementary school teachers (N=6). Thematic analysis performed on the interview transcripts identified four overarching themes and 16 subthemes.