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 establish trauma records as an eligible trauma-informed approach for school districts to receive funding under the School Safety and Security Grant Program. If a school decides to use this program, they would have to maintain electronic records that are overseen by a mental health professional or a school administrator. These records would include specific information on the student’s trauma, including a support plan detailing how the school will care for the student. The information in these records would be confidential, and they could only be used by the school to develop trauma-informed approaches or instruction or by a school official to support a specific student.
 
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.