This blog post is continued from It’s About T.I.M.E. Year Five Update Pt. 1. To read part one, click here. We’re thrilled to share how the It’s About T.I.M.E. program has continued to offer trauma-informed care to LBUSD schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read on to learn about the program’s exciting work.
It’s About T.I.M.E. continues to move through Barton Elementary. Nathan has passed the baton to me, and I continue to run the race of the trauma-informed movement throughout LBUSD. Instead of it being a sprint, I see it as a correlation with a long-distance race, specifically the steeple chase—running and hurdling through obstacles while keeping the pace.
2020 has had its obstacles to say the least. Although it has put us in a place of uncertainty about the future, it has also highlighted how prevalent trauma is within the U.S. We are all experiencing it, whether it is COVID-19 related or the social injustices that continue to be brought to light, we are all feeling some type of way.
It’s About T.I.M.E. has continued to rise in these unimaginable times. Connecting with teachers and administration has been a priority to me. It has been imperative that we continue building relationships and helping create a safe space for students to learn and talk about their own feelings.
Throughout my first year at Barton Elementary, we were able to see a noticeable difference in chronic absenteeism from the previous 2018- 2019 school year and also a major drop in suspensions, which demonstrates the effectiveness of teachers building relationships and dosing the students with kindness.
Overall, my first year has been a great experience. I believe the more Nathan and I continue to reciprocate and mirror positive connections, patience and check-ins with staff, we will see the reflection of those actions bloom through the teachers to the students like a domino effect throughout the school. Although students are learning virtually, the It’s About T.I.M.E. program has no intent of slowing down the movement of reaching teachers and students and spreading the importance of being a trauma-informed school.
Stevie McBride, LMFT, is the newest member of the It’s About T.I.M.E. team where he works to support teachers and staff and helps students thrive academically. Before joining It’s About T.I.M.E., Stevie was part of our outpatient program where he helped guide children and families struggling with mental health conditions or abuse toward positive and productive futures. He is especially passionate about collaborating with families and discovering key strategies to help them build healthy relationships with each other. Before joining The Guidance Center team in 2013, McBride worked with the Braille Institute, creating programs and providing resources for blind and visually impaired teenagers and families, as a Youth/Career Service Consultant. McBride earned a Master’s Degree in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy at University of Phoenix.