Trauma-Informed Education and School Social Work: Critical Intersections

Stacy Gherardi

doi:10.1921/jpts20252478

Authors

Stacy Gherardi Assistant Professor, New Mexico State University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0679-8212

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/jpts20252478

Keywords:

trauma, trauma-informed, trauma-sensitive, education, school social work

Abstract

Research has established that childhood trauma is a pervasive human experience that adversely impacts educational outcomes worldwide. In response to this reality, trauma-informed education has emerged as a key direction for school reform and improvement over the last decades. This movement has infused schools with increased awareness of the neurobiological impact of trauma and the imperative for both individualized and systemic support for young people who are impacted. While this integration is welcome and needed, its implementation has often overlooked critical partners: school social workers. Since its inception, school social work has recognized and responded to the impact of trauma on students in schools, and school social work competencies and practices are closely aligned with trauma-informed principles and practices. This paper examines the critical intersections between school social work and trauma-informed education, analyzing how school social workers' unique skills and their position within educational systems enable them to advance trauma-informed education locally and globally.

Author Biography

Stacy Gherardi, Assistant Professor, New Mexico State University

Stacy Gherardi is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at New Mexico State University and a licensed clinical social worker. Her experiences as a classroom teacher and a school social worker inform her work which focuses on the intersections between social and educational policy. Her past work has explored models for school social work, interprofessional practice in schools, and the community school movement. Her current work is largely focused on building equity-centered trauma-informed practices in culturally diverse schools.

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