Henry County Government officials and Henry County Schools leaders have agreed on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to form a new community partnership called “Handle with Care Henry County.” This relatively new collaboration between government entities in the state of Georgia has a goal of facilitating a concerted effort to assist school children in an educational setting after a traumatic experience.
Handle with Care Henry County was introduced to Henry County by the Raise Me Up Foundation, a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization under the leadership of Executive Director Priti Griffin.
“Our organization learned of the program in West Virginia where great success was achieved in helping children after various traumatic experiences and encounters,” said Griffin. “The Handle with Care Henry County program is simple. If a student witnesses or is a victim of any type of traumatic event, like a domestic violence, house fire, a family member passing away, or even a bad car crash, a Henry County first responder activates a Handle with Care alert notification to Henry County Schools. This notifies the student’s school personnel via a confidential message that simply says, ‘Handle (Child’s Name) with Care.’ The message does not include any details of the traumatic experience to protect the privacy of the child and family.”
Awareness is a key factor in the success of helping students who are impacted by traumatic events. The system is not an intervention, nor will it impose on a child. School personnel will monitor closely so they can respond appropriately.
According to Griffin, Juvenile Court Judge Michael Key of Troup County initiated the program in Troup County (GA) in 2019, and he has continued to provide guidance throughout this process.
“He shared that the trajectory of a child’s entire life could be altered by the way we respond to a child when he or she shows up at school. Sometimes all we need, as children and adults, is a safe harbor. A place to sit still and to be away from the chaos so we can heal ourselves.”
Knowing that a student needs help as soon as possible can better prepare school staff members, leaders, and the school’s CARE teams to quickly provide trauma-sensitive support. In difficult times for students, the early notification can ensure a level of awareness for adults that extra support, patience, understanding, and compassion may be needed before a student arrives in class.
Board Chair Holly Cobb (Dist. 3) agreed that mental healthcare for students is vital to their success inside and outside of the classroom.
“Henry County Schools believes that every child should feel safe and loved, and they belong at school. Handle with Care is aligned with our strategic action which is to advance student health and wellness and support structures,” shared Cobb.
County government officials, including County Manager Cheri Matthews and Board of Commissioners Chair Carlotta Harrell, are both proponents of this new partnership and excited about the strong benefit to our county’s youth.
“We have a remarkable partnership with our first responders and the school district, and I’m looking forward to watching what this can do for our students and their families,” stated Matthews. “It’s imperative that everyone rallies behind young people, especially in times of their greatest needs.”
Chair Harrell pointed to this opportunity as another strong extension of the working relationship between the county’s government leaders and the county’s school leaders.
“Partnerships with the school district continue to be an important key for our growing community,” said Harrell. “Our board of education and superintendent believe in every student having a safe place to learn while also feeling the greatest sense of value and belonging to their school community and the community at large. I, along with everyone in our county government, could not agree more with that sentiment. We’re proud to help push this initiative forward on behalf of students and families.
Research shows that children experiencing trauma can show an array of reactions as their coping mechanism (behavior issues in school, dropping grades, truancy, criminal behavior or violence, drugs/alcohol, and younger children complaining about stomach or headaches). Research also shows that trauma can undermine brain development, a child’s ability to learn, form relationships, and function appropriately in the classroom. Fortunately, positive interactions and experiences can buffer those bad experiences and foster a healthy development of support and trust.
Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis added, “When we talk about supporting the whole child, schools have become a haven to meet the mental, social, physical, and emotional needs, in addition to the understood academic needs. We have a commitment to providing wrap-around services, and this latest effort goes to show just how committed our entire community is to helping kids.”
For more information on Handle with Care Henry County, visit https://raisemeupfoundation.org/handle-with-care-henry-county/
