Trauma Informed Schools
Dr. Martha Merchant, PsyD, is a skilled presenter, bringing together clinical expertise and research-based, trauma-informed, racially just practices to groups working with children.
Her style brings this much-needed information to life through stories that stay with participants long after the presentation is over. This work includes antiracist abolitionist information, the ways that sociocultural trauma (e.g., racism, ableism, sexism) shows up in schools and reflecting with educators on what they can do in the face of these systemic oppressions.
HEARTS was founded by Dr. Joyce Dorado and Dr. Miriam Martinez at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Merchant worked with Dr. Dorado as a consultant embedded in an elementary school for two years, where she earned the title doc Martha from students and school staff. She has worked with more than a dozen different schools, providing training to diverse audiences, including educators, paraprofessionals, security personnel, administrators, nurses, school psychologists, social workers, parents, and students.
www.HEARTS.ucsf.edu
Keynote Presentations
Keynote presentations provide information about the HEARTS framework and current work.
doc Martha has provided keynote presentations for the San Francisco Unified School District Family Empowerment Conference, the California School-Based Health Alliance/REL West Ed, the Tulare County Office of Education, the State Performance Plan Technical Assistance Project (SPP-TAP) Leadership Team Workshop, Placer County Office of Education and others events across the San Francisco Bay area. doc Martha has presented at other events across the country, including the National Conference on Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools, the California Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) Coalition Conference, as well as for Sonoma County Juvenile Justice.
Trauma-Informed Schools Training and Consultations
doc Martha works with a variety of schools providing Trauma Informed Schools trainings and follow-up consultations based on the HEARTS model. This is a three to five-year whole-school change model, which includes whole-staff training and follow-up for administrators, educators, and other school staff. The initial presentation describes the effects of complex trauma and includes strategies to increase resilience. Further presentations provide information on vicarious trauma and self-care and promote an understanding of how complex trauma affects learning and functioning for children and the adults who work with them, their local systems, as well as strategies to address these effects. Consultations include classroom observation and feedback to classroom teachers, administrators, and other school staff.
Hear From Past Participants