In 2016, Montefiore Medical Group primary care offices began to screen children for the ten types of trauma that can impact their long-term health. Some examples include physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse, neglect, and witnessing violence. Today, we’ve screened more than 12,000 children and have found that 30 percent experienced an adverse event or trauma that could impact their future mental health.

The last two years have been stressful for families as kids studied at home, socialized less, and mourned the loss of loved ones. These challenges have only added on to ongoing concerns over finances, housing, and food that many families in The Bronx face. As mental health professionals, we are also concerned about the impact of rising violence, shootings and hate crimes in our community.

Traumas impact individuals differently based on risk factors, and they can have both long-term and short-term affects. In the short-term, children could have difficulty at school, not paying attention or focusing in the classroom. In the years that follow, those who experience trauma are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use disorders. Research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a connection between trauma and the development of heart disease, cancer and alcohol use disorder.

At Montefiore Medical Group, we have created screening protocols and programs to identify children who have experienced trauma, and work with them to minimize the negative impacts of such trauma. Through our primary care offices, we can directly connect children with mental health experts, who use evidence-based therapies to help these children. Kids are resilient, and swift mental health support can lessen the likelihood of long-term impacts, while giving them and their families the tools to manage future challenges.

We use a trauma-informed care approach or TIC, which starts by acknowledging that chronic stress and trauma can impact behaviors, attitudes, academics, or health. TIC is based on the understanding that people are more likely than not to have had past traumas. TIC training teaches tools to identify signs of trauma, assess the level of traumatic stress, and helps build healthy coping strategies and skills to reduce negative impacts both on people and on our communities overall.

TIC is an approach that can be used in many fields and settings. Another way we can reach children with this approach is in the classroom. We can empower teachers and administrators during times of crisis to identify and assist with children’s mental health needs.

So, what can TIC look like in the classroom? Focusing on cultural humility is a good place to start. Children often experience stress due to bullying, microaggressions, or targeted attacks. Trauma Informed Care in the classroom equips educators with a powerful tool to uncover trauma and to intervene. It means asking questions gently, when the child feels comfortable, uncovering the cause of their behavior.

For example, when a student is unwilling to present an oral exam, educators could privately speak with the student about their reasons for non-participation. During this conversation, educators may find that students do prepare their presentations for such exams, but due to being mocked by others for their accent, they may feel self-conscious, anxious, and wanting to avoid the exam.

When teachers are equipped with TIC, they can ask the right questions and get to the heart of the issues their students are facing. In addition, people trained in TIC can share simple strategies for emotional control and self-soothing, like breathing exercises or visual imagery.

Working together, we can all do our part to help address the socioemotional and psychological needs of children in our community. Families, teachers, healthcare providers can all play a role in lessening the impact of trauma on young lives and help them heal and grow from their experience.

Dr. Miguelina German is director of pediatric behavioral health services at Montefiore Medical Group and associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics & Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Editor’s Note

Citywide, the Bronx has the highest number of abuse/neglect investigations. In 2019, ACS reported the number of Bronx child abuse investigations at 15,926, compared to Brooklyn at 13,978, Queens at 11,057, Manhattan at 7,075 and Staten Island at 4,023.

Norwood News previously published an op-ed on child abuse as a public health crisis Renee Barrett. Barrett is a freelance writer and educator living in The Bronx. She holds Masters’ degrees in childhood education and urban administration.

We also reported on a State assembly bill that mandates the ongoing training of forensic evaluators of child abuse cases. Earlier this week, we reported that Silfredo Castillo Martinez, owner of Lina’s Garden Daycare Center, located on 3525 Decatur Avenue in Norwood (currently closed) was arraigned on charges of child sexual abuse and related pornography charges. He has been remanded in custody and is due back in court on Sept. 20.

A person arrested and charged with a crime is deemed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.