The Trauma-Informed Practices for Schools initiative supports California’s educators and students.
By Ashley Habchi '26
Adverse and potentially traumatic experiences remain all too common among school-age children, leaving teachers, administrators, and staff working to meet the complex emotional needs of their students.
In response to this ongoing challenge, researchers at the UC Santa Barbara Gevirtz Graduate School of Education have developed the Trauma-Informed Practices for Schools (TIPS) initiative. It is a collaborative effort with local educators and James S. Bower Foundation to promote resilience, wellbeing, and thriving across school communities.
Launched by Gevirtz School professors Jill Sharkey and Erika Felix in the Department of Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology; and Andrew Fedders and Tim Dewar in the Department of Education, TIPS equips teachers, administrators, and future educators with tools to recognize and respond to student trauma while also supporting their own well-being. Research shows that two-thirds of youth experience at least one traumatic event before age 16, and many face ongoing struggles with anxiety, depression, aggression, or thoughts of self-harm.
“Teachers are on the frontline of supporting students and are often the first adults to notice when something isn’t right,” said Felix, professor of clinical psychology, and associate dean for research and outreach. “They see the impact of trauma every day in the classroom. Our goal is to make sure they have the tools and confidence to respond in ways that promote healing and learning.”
Now in its fourth year within the Gevitz School’s Teacher Education Program (TEP), the TIPS curriculum continues to evolve and expand to meet the changing needs of educators and students.
“What’s great is that we are getting teachers before they enter the field,” said Felix. “They’re still doing their student teaching, just launching their careers.”
By integrating trauma-informed training into the early stages of teacher preparation, the Gevirtz School aims to create a new generation of educators who understand the profound effects of trauma on student learning and behavior—and who feel equipped to respond with empathy and evidence-based strategies.
Recently, the TIPS team piloted professional development days in the Lompoc Unified School District. This version expanded the training format from shorter weekly sessions to larger, focused learning blocks that allowed teachers to engage more deeply with the material. The updated program also introduced new modules on grief and immigration-related stress, and included dedicated time for teachers to reflect and connect with peers.
“Each year, we update TIPS based on what teachers are requesting from us,” said Felix. “We’ve also increased the rigor of our evaluation process to better understand how these trainings are impacting educator confidence and student support.”
As part of the Lompoc pilot, Gevirtz School researchers collaborated with district leaders to evaluate a wide range of professional development offerings, most centered on social-emotional learning, and found consistent positive growth: “We saw the most growth in the areas we targeted,” Felix noted, “particularly in teachers’ confidence and understanding of trauma-informed practices.”
According to Sharkey, professor of school psychology and interim dean at the Gevirtz School, the long-term goal is to make trauma-informed education a standard part of teacher training statewide.
“We’d love to partner with other UC Teacher Education Programs across California,” she said. “Eventually, we want to help change the state standards so TIPS is integrated.”
The initiative has also reached an important milestone: The TIPS class in TEP can now operate without external grant funding. “That’s a big accomplishment,” Sharkey said. “We’re at a point where the class is embedded within the curriculum.”
Looking ahead, the TIPS team would like to train school psychologists and lead teachers to deliver TIPS workshops within their own districts. This “train-the-trainer” model would allow schools to build internal capacity and ensure trauma-informed approaches become an integral part of everyday school culture rather than a one-time training.
“We want to equip other school districts with the tools and expertise to take care of their people,” said Sharkey. “When educators feel supported, they’re better able to support their students.”
Felix emphasized that sustainability and collaboration remain at the heart of the program’s success. “Our current efforts are focused on equipping teacher candidates and local districts with practical, sustainable tools,” she said. “By strengthening the support systems around teachers, we strengthen the support systems for students.”
For the TIPS team, the project is not only professional but also deeply personal.
“This has been such a passion project for Jill and me, along with the rest of our team,” said Felix. “Jill is a school psychologist, and my mom was a kindergarten teacher. I grew up hearing about the challenges students face and how much teachers care about helping them. From the beginning, we wanted to make sure trauma-informed practices were reaching classrooms where they could really make a difference.”
That personal connection has shaped TIPS’ development, ensuring the program grows directly from educator and student feedback.
“Most importantly,” Felix added, “we want to make sure the work continues to serve people well. Teachers feel empowered, supported, and ready to help students thrive.”