Our new Leadership Summit is a day-long, pre-conference event for those leading their schools and districts in creating trauma-sensitive schools.
Morning Session – 8:30 – 11:30 am
Leadership in Trauma-Informed Schools: Support, Strategy and Policy, led by Dr. Melissa Sadin
One in three children in every school has experienced trauma. Schools striving to become trauma-informed face challenges, especially without principal support. Research by Perry & Daniels (2016) and Sadin (2017) highlights that principal involvement is essential, but initiatives often falter when principals lack central office backing due to funding shortages.
This presentation outlines essential components of a trauma-informed school environment, including approaches to address the needs of students affected by trauma and strategies for staff development and support. Effective data collection is necessary to monitor progress and identify areas for improvement in trauma-informed practices. The presentation highlights tools and strategies schools can use to assess their efforts and outcomes.
Dr. Sadin, drawing on her experience as a public-school administrator and board of education vice president, will share practical strategies for sustaining trauma-informed practices over time. She will discuss lessons learned from implementing her CARES model in schools nationwide. Additionally, the presentation will cover recommended policy changes to help schools create safer, more supportive environments for students who have experienced trauma.
By integrating these components—leadership support, comprehensive student and staff strategies, data-driven approaches, and policy adjustments—schools can better support students affected by trauma and foster a culture of resilience and understanding.
Melissa Sadin, EdD has served as a special education teacher, a gifted teacher and a building administrator. She has also been a director of special education and vice president of her local school board, recognized as a Master School Board Member. The author of several books and a veteran presenter, Dr. Sadin’s research has included the perceptions of teachers working to create trauma-informed classrooms. She is currently an education consultant and developmental trauma expert service school district, municipal service providers and parents.
11:30 am – 1:00 pm – Networking Lunch
1:00 – 2:15 pm – The Impact of Adult Nervous System Health on Children & Youth, led by Dr. Lori Desautels
MTSS for Adults. Dr. Desautels will explore and explain this new framework for all adults who work with and care for children. We will explore the practices, mindsets, and nervous system states that shape our feelings and behaviors—whether they promote ease and safety or dysregulation in environments that lack perceived safety. Since emotions and stress are contagious, adults who become aware of their nervous system states can learn practices to calm, regulate, and resource themselves. We’ll explore how, as leaders, we’re able to nurture an environment that allows adults to practice and improve their own regulation.
Lori Desautels, PhD is an Assistant Professor at Butler University in the College of Education where she teaches graduate candidates in Applied Educational Neuroscience. Lori is the author of 6 books, her most recent, “Intentional Neuroplasticity,” and a new manual coming out this year, “Body and Brain Brilliance,” geared towards adults, adolescents and children. Lori presents on trauma accommodating practices through the lens of neuroscience internationally and is teaching with a course release in the Pre-K- 12 schools. Lori’s passion is sitting beside educators and students teaching them about the language of the nervous system. Her mentor is Dr. Stephen Porges.
2:30 -3:45 pm Implementing the TSS Framework Using Strategies from Dr. Sadin & Dr. Desautels, led by Jodi Place, MEd
Wrap up the day with a session full of practical applications from Jodi Place, who has used Dr. Sadin’s CARES model in the middle schools and high schools where she served as an administrator. Jodi is also a student of Dr. Desautels, with a certification in Applied Educational Neuroscience from Butler University.
Jodi will lead us through her own journey of implementing these frameworks and concepts at multiple schools in Virginia. In this highly interactive session, we’ll also spend time exploring together the challenges, pitfalls, and unexpected “wins” that can come from the strategies we’ve explored throughout the day.
Jodi Place, MAT is a life-long educator, having been in 6-12 grade classrooms and leadership roles for nearly 30 years. Prior to becoming a school administrator, Jodi was a National Board-certified high school English teacher. She’s the author of a quick reference guide from ASCD entitled Supporting Emotional Regulation in the Classroom and has been a frequent presenter at ATN’s Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools events.
