Little Wound School, in partnership with Crazy Horse and American Horse schools, has been awarded this grant. This grant, provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA) will run through 2023.
For the last few years, conversations throughout the reservation have touched on a model of student support know as "trauma-informed care." This model helps educate adult staff in schools to better recognize and respond to students who may be impacted by trauma. It is a community-based model and includes resources for students, parents, families, and neighbors.
A seminar on the topic, organized by Cecelia Fire Thunder; LWS Board Chairperson, was held at Rockyford School in the fall of 2017. School staff members from across the reservation participated, engaging in conversation about how school can best support students. This grant takes many of the ideas generated from the seminar and brings them to reality.
Each of the three partner schools will be provided funding to hire a cultural mentor, to work with students and incorporate Lakota traditioins into the academic and healing process. Depending on the size of the school, each partner will hire two or three people to serve as wayawa kin slolic 'iya wicaye - "helping students to know themselves" - whose job will focus on mental and behavioral health of students, meeting with students to provide council, support, and help identify additional outside resources and services. Additionally, each school site will hire a Trauma-Informed School Implementation Coach to help teachers, administration, and school staff use the model effectively and develop new ways to respond to students who display mental and behavioral health issues.
These staff will be supported by a project director, a co-coordinator, and a community project manager at each school. Additional support for counseling will be provided via telehealth, a way to quyickly connect in-need students to a licensed psychiatrist, social worker, or other appropriate mental health professional.