ABSTRACT
The TSC model for School Counseling at a trauma-sensitive school is an organizational framework to organize the important work school counselors are already doing to address toxic stress. It also pinpoints gaps in practice where they can add additional trauma-sensitive interventions. By aligning research about the effects of trauma with evidence-based counseling interventions, school counselors are moving the needle for students with ACEs. A TSC School Counseling Program addresses the needs of students with ACEs by providing:
Tiered Interventions to objectively and thoroughly address students’ academic, social-emotional, and behavioral needs.
Student Self-Regulation strategies to develop self-control, self-reflection, and self-efficacy skills.
Connections to school through meaningful adult relationships, engagement within the classroom, and opportunities for extracurricular involvement.
By addressing these three themes, school counselors are more likely to increase students’ ability to be socially, emotionally, and academically successful within a general education classroom. In the long term, TSC should reduce the need for special education services, the likelihood of suspensions, and the negative impact of trauma on student’s self-concept.
