WHAT
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The Monarch Room (MR) intervention is morphing into the trauma-informed, alternative to discipline strategy. It provides an alternative to traditional school discipline policies. The Monarch Room is a school intervention informed by literature that states that student suspensions and expulsions can be counterproductive (Greenwood, 2001; Griffin, 2011). It is therefore designed as an alternative to traditional school discipline policies in an effort to increase the amount of time students are in the classroom and learning.
Students with a background of trauma are very aware of their behavior and that of their peers, and they have specific ideas about how to create solutions. They also identify many triggers from their prior experiences that they believe lead to intense emotional and behavioral reactions. These reactions are not typically observed among those who have not had complex trauma exposure. The Monarch Room is available throughout the school day and is managed by staff trained in counseling and trauma theory to provide positive, nurturing support to students while attending school. In the classroom, when a student's behavior escalates to the point of interfering with the learning of others, the student may refer herself or may be asked (not sent) by the staff to go to the MR. Once in the MR, various intervention strategies, including problem solving, cognitive (counseling), and sensory–motor activities are employed to assist students in de-escalating and regulating their emotions so that they may return to the classroom. This process generally occurs on a short period of time (approximately 10 minutes). "We mindfully maneuver. We attempt new strategies. We collect and analyze data and then recalculate our route. Certainly, we have not reached the Promised Land and; our journey is still met with storms, rough seas, and unexpected holes in the ship itself. But, we continue on because our cargo—the students—are precious and cannot be thrown away."
Beverly A. Baroni, Ph.D., LMSW |
Goal of the Monarch Room as a Trauma-Informed Educational Intervention
The Monarch Room can be an integrated part of an educational-therapeutic system. Staff and students need to be clearly aware of its purpose and using it with fidelity. It MUST NOT be seen as a disciplinary action; not a punitive intervention. The Monarch Room, as a alternative to suspension, trauma-informed intervention, was not designed to react to students and their exhibited behaviors, but instead it was developed to work with the students as they deal with the impact of trauma on their lives. The MR provides a safe, calm environment for students to self-regulate their behavior and emotions through the use of a variety of interventions.
The long term goal is that students are empowered, over time, to utilize these skills independently. The long term goal is that students are empowered, over time, to utilize these skills independently.
The long term goal is that students are empowered, over time, to utilize these skills independently. The long term goal is that students are empowered, over time, to utilize these skills independently.