DREAMs Project

Developing Relational, Emotional, and Adaptive Minds


School discipline reforms like restorative practices can be effective as universal interventions. Yet, in most cases, these interventions are not designed to address intensive emotional, behavioral, and academic disruptions tied to students’ trauma history. Meanwhile, these more intensive needs can have a major impact on the behavioral culture of the school.

In response, the DREAMS Project is designed with a trauma-informed framework to serve the students with more intensive mental health needs. The aims of this project are to enhance struggling students’ behavioral and academic outcomes through a targeted program addressing the unique social and emotional needs related to trauma exposure. 


 

Implications of trauma for students’ academic outcomes:

It is well documented that trauma exposure influences both cognitive and behavioral functioning with implications for classroom and broader academic outcomes. 

 

 

People

Project Principle Investigator: 
School of Social Work
Project Co-Principle Investigator: 
Department of Psychiatry
Project Co-Principle Investigator:
Bianca DeBellis
School of Social Work
Program and Outreach Coordinator:
Monica Henderson
School of Social Work