The presentation, created and facilitated by school counselors Irene Ortega and Patrick Chen, focuses on building awareness and shared understanding of trauma for our parents and guardians. It also highlights how trauma affects the brain, health, behavior, and cognitive development of our students. Participants learned strategies on how to build safety and enhance connections with their children in order to help those affected by trauma practice self-regulation and increase protective factors. Parents and guardians also walked away with strategies and ideas for self-care for their children and for themselves so they are able to model positive and healthy coping skills for their children. After the workshop, many parents and Principal, Graciela Chavez, shared that the training was impactful and more parents could benefit from the training in the future. Porter Elementary was the first school to receive this new offering for families in the San Diego Unified School District and many schools are scheduled to receive this training in the coming months.
