PROPOSAL FOR THE WRITE TO HEAL A SECONDARY SCHOOL PULL-OUT PROGRAM

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Many of our students suffer from POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, an extremely debilitating condition involving a natural emotional reaction to a shocking or disturbing event in which physical harm was threatened or occurred. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD with children include school violence or shootings, car accidents, rape or sexual assaults and natural or human-made disasters.

Each year children and adolescents sustain injuries from violence, lose friends and relatives, or are adversely affected by a violent or traumatic situation. In cases where a sibling is murdered, oftentimes the child loses, not only a brother or sister, but their parents, as well. Support groups for adults can be easily accessed through the internet. So, the problem of helping these children get through and/or overcome these emotional traumas and behavioral problems lands, once again, in the lap of the teachers and administrators.

How is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Expressed?

Research shows that students who experience catastrophic events show a wide range of reactions. Some may only suffer sorrow, anxieties, and bad memories that tend to fade away with the help and support of friends and relatives. Others are more affected and experience long-term difficulties. With PTSD, these difficulties could include emotional detachment, sleeping disorders, depression, irritability, outbursts of anger, or feelings of guilt. Students experiencing PTSD generally have continuous episodes called “flashbacks”. They also tend to withdraw emotionally from friends, family, and teachers. At first they may feel numb and maintain basic activities of daily living, but as they begin to psychologically re-experience their traumatic event, they try hard to avoid situations, activities, and songs that are reminders of the original event, fearing exposure to them will cause their symptoms to worsen.

PTSD can cause students to feel constantly threatened. They may become irritable or explosive without any apparent cause. They may have trouble concentrating and memorizing things. Their grades fall and then they start “ditching” their classes, feeling, “What’s the use?” Some children are unable to work out their grief and anger, allowing the incident to affect their emotional and physical well-being. Some students, in an attempt to mask the pain may turn to alcohol and/or drug abuse.

IMPACT tries to intervene, but oftentimes the facilitators are teachers who are interested in making extra money. The teacher training for this program concentrates mainly on student’s behavioral problems, gang intervention and drug abuse. We surveyed 1000 students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The survey questionnaire and the pie chart are on the following pages. It shows that more than half of LAUSD students are affected by gun violence. No wonder so many students are failing!

Our Survey showed that 90% of LAUSD students are afraid to walk the streets for fear of being “banged on” or shot. 80% of children in Los Angeles know a murder victim. Oftentimes, it is a friend, a schoolmate, or a family member. Yesterday, I watched the news. Today, I am the news unfortunately, has become the reality of many of us. Students report that their grades dropped, that they started getting kicked out of their classes, started fights at home and school, and experienced headaches and stomach problems. Some of them became withdrawn and stopped playing outdoor sports and games.

“Geraldo” – A Case Example

Geraldo, his cousin, and the next-door neighbors, Jesse and Jesus, were playing soccer in the front yard of the two adjoining properties after school. Geraldo was heading toward the designated goal which was the two pine trees that defined his family’s property line. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a grey Honda slowing down. He saw the headlights flash twice. Before he could warn anyone, shots rang out! He dove behind the porch. But not before he felt the searing sting of the bullet.

After the car sped away, he crawled out to see his cousin bleeding from the nose. Jesse had escaped injury, but his brother hadn’t. They waited for almost twenty minutes before the ambulance came, but it was too late. Geraldo watched his cousin and his best friend and neighbor, Jesus, die – right there in the front yard where they had played countless games of soccer and touch football.

“Geraldo” is a sixth grade student at John Muir Middle School. After I shared my story with the class, “Geraldo” was just one of the fifteen children who had urban horror tales that they fought to share with me. The hour-long session ended much too soon. But not before I learned from the students how the once taken-for-granted safe walk to school was a thing that these children only heard stories about. I learned that playing games in the front yard, in the park, anywhere outside, endangered these children. These students are being held hostage in their own neighborhoods because they don’t want to “bang” and they don’t want to die.

PURPOSE & OBJECTIVE

The YOU HAVE THE WRITE TO HEAL program incorporates a Write to Heal Workbook and Survivor to Thriver – A Mother’s Journey Toward Peace After Her Son’s Murder. In the book, Survivor to Thriver, seven strategies are employed to help grievers get through the loss of losing a loved one. Students will model these strategies literally by participating in a ONE-HOUR PULL-OUT PROGRAM from their English or Service class and figuratively through their writings in the Workbook. The Workbook will allow students to express their pain, their thoughts, their fears, and their aspirations on paper This curriculum is Standard-Driven and participants can receive, not only counseling and support, but a grade, as well.

INTERVENTION PROGRAM

An 8-week One-Hour Pull-Out Program from P.E. or Service where participants will meet with a facilitator and other participants (10 or less) to cry it out, talk it out, and write it out and incorporate the other four strategies into their Workbook to enable mental and spiritual health. The major OBJECTIVE of this Program is to keep students dizzy-busy through reading, meetings, creating, sharing, and planning culminating celebration.

FACILITATORS / INSTRUCTORS

In the chapter, Forget You, Help Someone, one of the strategies for getting over a loss is by helping others. Certificated mothers who have completed the 8-week training will act as facilitators. Per our experiences, NO ONE can facilitate the healing process for these children like PEOPLE WHO HAVE WALKED IN THEIR SHOES.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT- TITLE I PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY

This Act of 2001 states that every school will engage parents in partnerships that will increase parental involvement and participation and promote the social, emotional, and academic growth of children. According to the No Child Left Behind Policy Act, when schools work together with families to support learning, children are inclined to succeed, not just in school, but throughout life. Three decades of research have shown that participation in schooling improves student learning. Such participation of parents and families is critical throughout a child’s entire academic career.

The Write to Heal Program totally involves parents from the beginning with the Syllabus and the Parental Consent Agreement. The Workbook further involves parents by having them read their child’s session entries and putting their signature on every assignment. At the completion of the Program, parents will be involved in the planning, scheduling, supervision, food preparation, and implementation of the Heaven & Earth Celebration where students and their families will have fun celebrating their life and the life of their deceased loved one.

CALIFORNIA STATE STANDARDS

All of the activities in the Write to Heal Workbook will be standards-based. Comprehensive skills in writing, reading, oral presentations, and computer documentation are cited at the beginning of every Session. At the end of the 8-week sessions, students will receive a Certificate of Completion whereas they may also receive additional credit from the teacher from their “pull-out” class.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Survivor to Thriver – A Mother’s Journey Toward Peace After Her Son’s Murder $9.99 The Write to Heal Workbook $6.99

The total cost for 10 students for the 8-week sessions, including material, books, and all other costs will be $2,000.