Our schools are critical locations where our young people develop essential functional and social skills, particularly in times of trauma and upheaval. School districts across the state have invested time and resources into student guidance, psychological and physical wellness, and cross-agency intervention systems, becoming trauma-informed learning institutions. However, our state agencies are precluded from informing them of known student trauma. When we deprive our schools of the necessary background information they need to protect and care for the Commonwealth’s young learners, we risk further traumatization of our 1.5M students, many of whom have experienced trauma, and undercut our +120,000 educators who dedicate themselves to the job of nurturing them all!
 
It is for these reasons that I plan to introduce legislation that would direct the Department of Human Services to create pathways of communication between county agencies and school building principals and either a guidance counselor or a mental health professional to share information relating to traumatic events involving a student. Under this legislation, the county would not be allowed to share confidential information about the student, but the student would still be able to be monitored in case they needed additional support.
 
Pennsylvania has previously worked to mitigate trauma that our children face, but now is the moment to fully achieve this goal. Please consider co-sponsoring this legislation and let us affirm our resolve to support every child in the Commonwealth.