Starr News - Fall 2019

NEWS FALL 20 19 VOL. 85 NO. 3

COACHING RESILIENCE: IN THEIR OWN WORDS WOODWARD ACCREDITATION A FLOURISHING CAMPUS HEALING ACROSS THE GLOBE

Our Mission Starr Commonwealth leads

with courage to create positive experiences so that all children, families, and communities flourish.

Vision Universal hope, boundless love, and limitless success for all children.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

President’s Letter 4 Woodward Accreditation

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Coaching Resiliency

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Lakeview Schools 8 Michigan Health 9 Endowment Fund A Flourishing Campus

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Mind Body Empowerment

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Healing Across the Globe

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Honor and Memorial Gifts

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Matt Ray, Editor Deva Ludwig, Designer

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Dear Friends of Starr,

Healing in Action

You may recall from our summer 2019 issue of Starr News, we unveiled our bold new identity and direction for the future of Starr Commonwealth. Put simply, we are Driven to Heal. As months have passed since the launch, this drive has been bolstered by our success, and has taken many different forms. This is embodied by our dedicated staff on campus, trainers and coaches in the field, and the robust offerings of our eLearning platform and resource store. In this issue, I am delighted to paint a picture of this healing in action.

Throughout the following pages, you will read about how our strategic plan continues to be implemented in the field, and hear from our dedicated professionals about what inspires them to make an impact.

Fostering healing throughout countless school districts across the country remains critical as we strive for systems-level change for our children. Locally, we are proud to extend our Resilient Schools Project series to Lakeview School District in Battle Creek. Our training of staff in trauma-informed, resilience-focused practices, the work of our Resilience Coaches with staff and students, and partnering with local providers will ensure that Battle Creek moves closer to universal access to behavioral health services— something we dream for every community.

While Lakeview and others work toward the model for trauma-informed, resiliencefocused success for students, Starr celebrates the hard work of Woodward Children’s Center in Freeport, New York, as they have achieved Starr Accreditation as a Trauma-Informed School.

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In addition to organizational- and systemswide progress, we must not lose sight of what makes success truly possible— the driven individuals who heal, teach, and inspire daily. Featured in this issue are many professionals that are each a testament to the power of the traumainformed, resilience-focused lens in their own unique ways. From Resilience Coaches drawing inspiration from their backgrounds and the communities in which they’re embedded, to Certified Trauma Practitioners using their training from Starr for the benefit of health and Oneness across the globe, I am proud of their devotion to our mission.

Returning home, campus is flourishing as it pushes toward historic programming offerings for as diverse of a student population we have seen. Included in this population are those who have begun healing in our Commercially SexuallyExploited Children program. Their inwardfocus on their own strength, and the resilience they have discovered when doing so, gives me great hope as we look to the development of even more programs for children with unmet needs.

Healing in action meets pain and desperation with love and understanding.

It is our tagline realized, and what it means to lead with courage. These stories are our celebration for each partner, friend, and donor who helps us flourish. Thank you for joining us on this journey.

Yours in Healing,

Elizabeth Carey, President & CEO

Woodward Children’s Center Achieves Accreditation The traditional school behavior system has failed. This has resulted in countless students across the nation being forced out of their home districts. Too often are those who are unable to regulate their emotions cast aside and left without hope. For the students of Woodward Children’s Center, a Tier 3 school serving exclusively children who have been expelled from their home districts around New York City as well as Nassau and Suffix Counties, hope remains.

“All of our students come from home districts which have been unsuccessful in providing the proper behavioral or emotional support,” says Danielle Colucci, principal of Woodward.

“We strive to find each student’s strengths and provide classes to build on them. In addition, our small nurturing environment allows for them to feel safe in trying new things. This results in many electives that you maybe wouldn’t find in a traditional public school.”

Recently, Woodward has achieved accreditation, the highest honor earned by trauma-informed organizations through Starr Commonwealth. This process includes staff-wide training in trauma-informed and resilience-focused practices, as well as certification for a core team to ensure sustainability of the model for years to come. “We still want students to be rewarded [through positive behavior], but we are certainly more centered on our “Shield of Resilience” and acknowledging values—their generosity and mastery. We’re delighted to remove the stigma from school behavior, and our parents are excited and hopeful for the changes as well.”

Regardless of school, staff buy-in is critical for the success of new programs. Kathy Hart, Starr’s director of professional training and coaching, who has been integral in delivering training for Woodward, is confident in their appreciation for Starr’s approach. “Woodward has been actively involved in our training and it is clear they see past the unwanted behavior in their students,” celebrates Hart. “Their eagerness to learn how to help young people who struggle managing day-to-day life is very apparent. Their ability to absorb the trauma-informed approach meshes seamlessly with who they are as professionals, as well as Woodward’s mission to help students who have special education needs.”

In addition to Hart, Erin Reed, Starr senior trainer, also holds Woodward’s progress in high esteem. “It has been such a hopeful experience to witness the amazing staff at Woodward consistently offer their students experiences of resilience. I have been blown away by the ability of the staff to constantly see the greatness in the students. Students at Woodward are empowered by the choices they are given to emotionally regulate and express their ideas. Their trauma team leads the way with powerful creativity to support the positive climate. It is clear to me that the educators at Woodward have worked hard to create a place where students are heard and feel safe. I am so excited for all of the children and families that Woodward will support, as it provides great hope for the future.”

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Coaching Resilience: In Their Own Words

to them to ensure kids will never need a place like Starr is huge. My residential experiences inspire me to help staff realize that they can be the one adult in this kid’s life that helps them not lose their community. What if just one adult in school had taken the time to connect with them? Part of the reason I’m in schools is to be proactive with staff and remind them, even on the hardest days, that they can do this!” – Katie Carpenter, Northwestern Middle School, Battle Creek, Michigan “It began with the unfair responsibility to raise my 9 brothers and 4 sisters… I found that I had a unique way of reaching kids. I realized that this is what I want to do–I want to give kids what I never had. Traditionally, my work had been with non-profits on the other side of behavior with the task of rehabilitation. I decided I wanted to get ahead of this. I want to prevent kids from ending up in group homes, etc.” – Anthony Allen, Prairieview Elementary, Battle Creek, Michigan

Elijah Armstrong, Associate Resilience Coach at Marshall Middle School

To accurately paint a picture of “Healing in Action”, we must celebrate the work of our dedicated Resilience Coaches. At the same time, we can also learn about what inspires them each day, and how they see their work making an impact on the next generation.

As dynamic as the skills and practices Starr’s Resilience Coaches offer staff and model with students at various schools, so too are their inspirations for making an impact. Despite varying influences, each is able to apply past experiences, both negative and positive, to how they approach building resilience in the schools they serve.

“Schools are a critical opportunity to reach kids before they lose everything. For staff to understand that it’s up

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“As a young man, I had always received poor marks in citizenship. When I see young kids who are bright, but display misplaced energy, I strive to make a difference with them and give them the help that I needed. Teachers planted the seed in me, and the lessons I learned still resound. Those who stayed in my ear and tried to help build my resilience made a great impact on me.

Now I’m grateful to make a positive difference for the next generation. That’s all I want to do!” – Will Weeks, Lincoln Park Public Schools & Ypsilanti Community High School “I’m so passionate about these kids, because I was them. I dropped out of Lincoln Park. We endured trauma, including student deaths and suicide due to bullying. Every year we lost someone. The ACEs study is so real. 20 years ago, the trauma and toxic stress threw the school for a loop. They did the best they could, but today the district is actively working to build resilience.

It’s awesome to be here and help these kids see that I was one of them, but I was able to overcome the odds, and here’s what you can do too.” – Candy Pendergraft, Lincoln Park Middle School, Lincoln Park, Michigan

Starr is incredibly proud of the dedication of our Resilience Coaches. As we celebrate the success of our organization, we can often start with the everyday, personal victories they experience in the halls of their schools.

“The staff at Northwestern love these kids and are excited to make a difference. They know what the kids experience in the community and at home, and they take it upon themselves to make sure the school is a setting where the kids want to be. To see them grow is so rewarding. They have new strategies and are able to create environments where students want to be and are ready to learn. Some buy-in right away, some take longer, but when you see staff connect with your training, it makes all the hard work worth it.” – KC “There have been so many opportunities to help staff reframe mindsets. ‘You may not be doing great in school, but look at how passionate you are about this subject. Let’s lean into that mastery and watch you shine.’ As a result, staff can show students that they actually do have something to give back.

They’re practicing compassion with their peers.” – CP “They call me Uncle Junior. That connection is so important— they can trust us. One young girl in particular, who I began working with when she was in elementary school told me: ‘If it wasn’t for you, I would have quit school.’ I am so happy to be a constant in her life. [Thinking back to when I was in school, when we didn’t have this programming], she reminds me of several individuals who didn’t end up making it.” – Elijah Armstrong, Marshall Middle School, Marshall, Michigan

Mentoring staff and modeling practices with students helps everyone’s universal needs, and is critical to school culture.

“Many times the teacher’s own trauma is what is getting in the way. We deal with many defeated teachers. When you can give them that ounce to go on, when you can give them a different viewpoint, that can be very fulfilling.” – AA

“[My presence at LP] shows that we as the school truly care about the whole child. Because I work for Starr and not for the district, as well as my background at LP, helps people confide in me. It’s now my job to help build that trust. I can tell them: ‘The school cares about you so much that they brought this training in, and are looking for every resource they can find to ensure your kid is successful.” – CP “Teachers have said ‘Junior, we need to clone about twelve of you!’ To provide that support to teachers is critical. They want to help students as best they can, and I can help take that burden off their shoulders.” – EA

Building resilience today brings with it momentum that grows well into the future. By mentoring staff and modeling with students, our Coaches are empowering communities and ensuring the next generation is even more Driven to Heal.

“As adults, it’s our job to plant the seed for a kid. Every adult along the way has the responsibility to water, prune, etc. As a kid, I didn’t always have that adult. While we’re empowering these kids through social-emotional learning, we’re also setting the foundation for them to be that caring adult to teach the next generation how to deal with their struggles and emotions.” – AA “[For those experiencing toxic stress], it’s not safe to share joy, and yet I have a kid smiling bigger than I had ever seen.

For some [the fun we have] is just a feel-good moment. For those with a trauma-informed lens, we know that it’s actually changing their brain chemistry. They are learning how to love themselves, each other, and give back in whatever way they can. These are experiences they will always remember.” – CP “I even have students who remind their peers: ‘well Mr. Junior taught us…’ To hear them relaying our message and holding each other accountable is so rewarding. They’re going to grow up so much stronger, regardless their adversities.” – EA

Will Weeks, far left, Senior Resilience Coach at Lincoln Park Public Schools & Ypsilanti Community High School Candy Pendergraft, left, Resilience Coach at Lincoln Park Middle School

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Lakeview Schools

A District Dedicated to Resiliency In fall of 2018, we shared with our readers about the bold initiative of building resilience in Battle Creek Public Schools through a Resilient Schools Project. More information about that project is available at starr.org/bcps. Building on the momentum of Battle Creek Public, and answering the call to address behavioral health on a greater scale in the community, Starr Commonwealth and several local partners have launched the Lakeview Resilient Schools Project. This multifaceted initiative will provide professional development for staff, support for students in the form of Resilience Coaches, as well as both embedded and referral-based mental health support for students in need. The Lakeview Resilient Schools Project will launch with an initial focus on Prairieview Elementary and expand throughout the district.

Critical funding support totaling over $250,000 has come from the Battle Creek Community Foundation and the Guido A. and Elizabeth H. Binda Foundation.

Prairieview staff participate in professional development

Resilience and support for staff is critical to success!

Go Spartans!

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In addition to funding partners, fulfillment of services will be coordinated between Starr Commonwealth, Summit Pointe, and Grace Health. Starr will be responsible for training of Prairieview staff, embedding Resilience Coaches in the schools, and laying the groundwork for expansion of the project throughout the district. Grace Health has committed to provide services in-school to address mental and behavioral health needs for students, while Summit Pointe will coordinate the review process for further mental health services for individual students as needed.

“Binda has long-supported childhood health, literacy, and education in the Battle Creek community, and we recognize the work Starr and others are doing to promote strategies that address trauma and support resilience in students to enable them to be successful in school and in life,” states Nancy Taber, Binda Foundation executive director. “The Guido A. and Elizabeth H. Binda Foundation was pleased to be able to partner with Starr, Lakeview Schools, the Battle Creek Community Foundation, and our service partners around this important work. In doing so, we look forward to seeing the effect that professional development and in-school supports will have on addressing social and emotional learning, reducing behavior referrals, and ultimately improving academic progress for students.”

Derek Allen, Starr’s chief operating officer, echoed the same sentiments. “As the community has rallied around Resilient Schools Projects in Battle Creek, the call to address unmet needs in Lakeview Schools provided an opportunity to extend community behavioral health services to more children. With every Resilient Schools Project undertaken, of which we have many happening throughout the region and the country, Starr continues to develop the critical ingredients for success, and we’re excited to engage the staff of Lakeview School District in this collaborative effort with the goal to carry on this work and sustain the trauma-informed model at Prairieview, as well as the other five Lakeview schools.”

Michigan Health Endowment Fund Partners for the Success and Health of Children As Starr solidifies its commitment to children across the state, including its offering of behavioral health services co-located within the primary care setting in Detroit, we also humbly take pause for those who make this initiative financially possible.

We are honored to feature the Michigan Health Endowment Fund in our fall spotlight, and with gratitude acknowledge their $499,450 grant to fund the work in the city. At the same time, their commitment to Starr and the children we will serve reinforces the inspiration that we bring to this venture. While we will always lead with courage in fulfillment of our mission, grants awarded by the Health Fund provide validity to the importance of the work, and we are proud to represent them in each project supported.

“We are very thankful for the generous support of the Health Fund. Over the past year, they have been instrumental in the success of our mission,” says Starr president & CEO, Elizabeth Carey. “They have made it possible to integrate trauma assessments and interventions with primary care to improve the overall well-being and health of our youth, as well as allow us to share our strengths with students and teachers in schools.

Relationship by relationship, we are helping children heal, as well as feel safe, seen, and loved. Every day, we lead with courage to bring about positive change to educational and healthcare systems. The Health Fund has made that possible.”

The Michigan Health Endowment Fund works to improve the health and wellness of Michigan residents and reduce the cost of healthcare, with a special focus on children and seniors.

They do so, among other actions, by grantmaking across Michigan. Since 2013, the Health Fund has awarded more than $128 million dollars for health nonprofits across the state.

Recently, the Health Fund published their report, available at mihealthfund.org, on the more than 650,000 Michigan

residents with mental illness who are receiving no treatment of any form. Included in this figure is an abundance of behavioral health issues being untreated—the very problem Starr has dedicated to reducing in Detroit through co-location in one of the city’s premier healthcare settings. And while these staggering statistics drive initiatives in 2019, Starr’s relationship with the Health Fund is not a new one.

Previously, the Health Fund, along with other funding partners, made the vision of our Battle Creek Resilient Schools Project a reality. In 2018, through a $466,510 grant, the Health Fund invested in the transformation of Northwestern Middle School.

This grant has allowed Starr to share their resilience focused tools and resources with Northwestern over a two-year period. Utilizing two, full-time Starr professionals, Northwestern teachers, administration, and support staff have received daily, on-the-ground training, mentoring, and professional coaching.

We are delighted to celebrate the Health Fund’s commitment to Starr Commonwealth. Much of our success has been made possible by their drive to heal, nearing one million dollars in funding over 2018-2019. In addition, their financial dedication to our mission is a signal of the power of our common vision, as well as the trust they put in the work of Starr Commonwealth.

“When kids come to school or the hospital, they don’t leave their experiences at the door. So it’s critical that education and health professionals are equipped to help those kids who have experienced trauma,” explains Becky Cienki, program officer for the Health Fund. “Starr’s work provides resources, evidence-based tools, and an approach to team-based care in these settings. We’re proud to partner with Starr Commonwealth to help ensure that Michigan children have the support they need to be healthy and successful.”

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A Flourishing Campus

As we celebrate “Healing in Action”, we need to turn no further than Uncle Floyd’s campus, where Starr Commonwealth takes great pride in meeting the constant demand for mental health services for children—a task in 2019 that has experienced continued growth. Our position in this field is such that, by spring of 2020, Starr will be home to 200 residents, a population that has not been reached since 2008. This expansion has been pursued with great care.

“Since December of 2014, we’ve always worked toward this goal, albeit methodically,” explains Randy Copas, executive director of Starr Albion Prep. “At any point we could go out and fill the cottages. However, maintaining campus culture and successful completion of programming is critical to this expansion, and something we work for every day. If you grow too quickly it could compromise that balance.”

A key component in Starr Albion Prep’s growth has been seeking out markets and populations that are underserved, and stepping outside the mainstream of residential care. What historically residential programs addressed as juvenile justice, most closely related to “delinquency” programs of outdated nomenclature, has shifted to a focus on mental health, suicidal ideation and self-harm, commercially sexually-exploited children, and a myriad of additional categories that students may fall into within that scope. In that spirit, Starr Albion Prep has been able to not only expand its population, but ensure more students received more specialized care to accommodate their needs. To Copas, campus is well prepared for the task. “We are positioned well to ensure we are able to meet

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this need. Our national reach has allowed a beacon of success to shine on Starr Commonwealth to attract referrers to our services.”

With a diverse set of mental health needs comes the need for a dynamic set of skills throughout the residential staff. Starr Albion Prep’s 200 students will be cared for by 300 staff members, including many hired in the last quarter, mostly from surrounding communities. Copas’ dedication to meeting the needs of campus has meant the implementation of extended training—well above the national average of hours trained and required for licensing—to allow his staff to approach their care to the greatest benefit of each student. While time-consuming and with more costs associated, this also provides greater potential in staff retention. Additionally, our demand for success does not stop when a student leaves campus.

Starr Albion Prep has committed to more intentional outreach post-programming. This includes several follow-ups for two years after completion.

“While we could spend all day celebrating individual success stories for our residents, we have become extremely data-driven so we can back up the feel-good with the statistically-proven in order to position ourselves nationwide. While some populations may be transient and difficult to track, those that we can keep up with will have support as well provide key success statistics that ensure SAP remains the model for residential care.”

Alumni Homecoming As Stanley Allen, Starr Alumni Association president, stood before students and alumni alike, his message was clear. “My time at Starr, while I may not have taken advantage of it then, turned out to be some of the greatest opportunities of my life,” he recalled. “In a word, Starr Commonwealth is magical. And that’s not about the staff, not about the curriculum, it’s about this beautiful campus we have before us.”

Starr Albion Prep’s Tony Bentley and Starr Alumni Association President Stanley Allen

It was our beautiful campus that served as the backdrop for a day of reconnecting and reminiscing. Throughout the events of Homecoming 2019, the students of Starr Albion Prep had the opportunity to hear from various alumni, from the time of Uncle Floyd to as recent as 2018. No matter the timeframe, the lessons learned remained consistent: Starr Commonwealth will change your life, if you let it. As one recent alumnus asserted to the auditorium full of students, “Starr teaches you how difficult the world can be, but also how easy you can make it.”

After a meal shared between students and alumni, Starr Albion Prep put its talents on full display through song and dance.

Performance after performance, the students proved how gifted and full of potential each child on our campus is, and the enthusiasm enjoyed throughout the auditorium reassured that each has a community of love and support around them.

Elizabeth Carey and Ivan Fall, Starr boy from 1943-1946 and one of our oldest alumni

Thank you to all who attended Homecoming 2019! To relive the day, please visit starr.org/alumni. Do you know any alumni who may want to visit campus and have the opportunity to mentor our students? Invite them to next year’s festivities! Stay tuned to Starr’s website and social media for more information in the coming months.

Alumni from many generations and programs came together to connect and learn from one another.

Pictured: TJ Merrill and Tim Styszko.

Mind & Body Empowerment for Human Trafficking Victims Starr believes, as its founder Floyd Starr did, that there is no such thing as a bad child. And, when you provide a safe environment, when you treat a child with dignity and respect, it changes a child’s heart. And that, in the end, is what changes a child’s life. It’s a powerful story that we have been helping children write for over 100 years at Starr Commonwealth. For all students on Starr’s campus, this approach is applied to healing their pain-based behavior. By identifying what has happened, or is happening, within each individual on our campus, by understanding their own internal logic, our staff is able to assess and treat trauma to ensure resilience and future success.

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Taking a modern approach to Starr’s 1913 creed that “badness is the result of misdirected energy,” our trauma-informed methodology traditionally utilizes therapy, education, work, and play to help our students focus, reset, and grow. But how might these practices need to adapt when the “misdirected energy” of some students is the result of traumas that go beyond the most commonly thought of, or even imaginable, forms? Starr Albion Prep’s Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) program, led by Mackenzie Bentley, director of therapeutic services, addresses such trauma, and it has required us to think beyond our traditional programming.

For the victims of human trafficking, the first step is often the most difficult task–helping these children make sense of what has happened to them. To get them to understand they are victims, much of their time is spent in cognitive restructuring to help them see that they, in fact, were exploited. As one girl simply put it: “I didn’t even know I was being trafficked.”

This cognitive restructuring takes the shape of conversations, readings and videos on what modern trafficking looks like, as well as journaling to identify what has specifically happened in their past, or is happening currently inside them, to help reshape their image of themselves. And, while this programming is vital to the healing process, Starr’s most dynamic approach to building resilience in these victims is through physical supplements to their mental care.

“Trauma is a body experience,” explains Starr’s senior trainer and yoga instructor, Erin Reed. “You’re activated into a sympathetic nervous system response, and if you’re living in that experience over and over again you begin to create physical patterns you unconsciously repeat.” Through teaching yoga, “we are creating awareness of those patterns, and empowering these girls to make choices about their reactions.” In that spirit, yoga is providing a modern day coping strategy for the “misdirected energy” that Floyd Starr spoke to 106 years ago.

In conjunction with Starr’s CSEC program, Reed’s yoga classes are offering a focus on therapeutic themes including acceptance of self, awareness and empowerment over the safety of

one’s own body, and ultimately, personal resilience. “We’re helping these girls befriend and care for their bodies by putting aside the shame that comes from the traumatic experience [of trafficking]. We help girls reconnect with themselves in a compassionate way,” says Reed. ”This guidance shifts traditional therapy models into a both intrapersonal and interpersonal experience.

“In a traditional disease model, we’re really disempowered by relying on medicine or a therapist to heal our wounds,” says Reed. “It takes away the power of relationship, whereas a therapeutic yoga model gives us the power to heal ourselves by first becoming aware of ourselves, and then sharing a common space and celebrating a common experience with the group.”

Despite only being a few months into the program, self-healing, according to both Reed and Bentley, has already proven its effectiveness.

“It’s miraculous what we have seen,” Bentley celebrates.

“The girls are growing week to week and able to even teach each other as they build skills.” While most programming in residential settings is at risk of carrying the stigma that it’s required to complete one’s stay, both Bentley and Reed say they have girls asking for more time in group, extra yoga sessions, and seeing an overall excitement to be a part of the program.

What Reed has experienced in yoga sessions has confirmed the success of the program. “Each class I see girls spending more and more time being connected with their bodies and less time dropping out of poses. They have been shifting away from their learned hyper-vigilance to spending more time feeling safe with their eyes closed. They’re not only connecting what they’re feeling in life to what they’re doing on their mats, but wanting to then share their experiences with the group after.” This sense of empowerment and sharing has multiple benefits, and it is paving the way for the future of trauma-sensitive programming at Starr Commonwealth.

For more insight from Mackenzie Bentley and Erin Reed, visit starr.org/yoga.

Photo on page 12: Erin Reed teaching yoga to fellow staffer Danon Reid, taken from her eLearning course Practicing Resilience

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Coming soon!

COURAGEOUS CLASSROOMS: SKILL OF THE WEEK We are excited to introduce a new program from Starr Commonwealth for teachers and schools to learn, model, and reinforce childhood resiliency.

Courageous Classrooms provides teachers and schools with interactive, organized ways to seamlessly incorporate social, emotional, and behavioral learning tools into your everyday classroom activities, as well as ways to share those lessons and learn with peers. Each lesson is a product of Starr’s over 100 years of trauma-informed and resilience-focused care for children, and many lessons include evidence-based practices for proven outcomes.

Developed by teachers and social workers certified through Starr as trauma-informed practitioners, Courageous Classrooms fits naturally into any school, district, or agency’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) or Response-to-Intervention (RTI) plans. The program also offers teachers access to a growing community of like-minded professionals who will be participating and implementing practices together and sharing challenges and successes. Over time, it is the hope of Starr Commonwealth that Courageous Classrooms becomes a learning community (and commonwealth) of teachers and educators across the country.

Learn more at starr.org/sotw 14

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Beyond the Classroom Healing Across the Globe

For those familiar with Starr Commonwealth’s Professional Training and Coaching, the idea of becoming a Certified Trauma Practitioner is most likely imagined in the classroom or in a clinical setting. Starr is proud of the more than 3,000 practitioners Driven to Heal in these traditional environments. And while the work these professionals dedicate themselves to every day is the lifeblood of building resilience in communities across the globe, several trauma practitioners have begun to break the mold by fostering healing in new populations of children—with unique sources of toxic stress.

A Call to Action for All

No matter the setting, and regardless of the pain, Beryl Cheal and Julie McDaniel-Muldoon serve as vital proof points to the validity and dire need for the trauma-informed and resilience-focused lens that Starr uses to empower advocates for children. Change occurs one child at a time, and the scope of our collective undertaking remains vast. However, as Starr continues to celebrate those who mend the broken cycle of traditional behavior modification, we are sure to challenge a growing number of professionals in their respective fields. As they learn about their colleagues and the impact they are making, perhaps they can realize how they can use their skillset to heal trauma in their own unique ways. As McDaniel-Muldoon will attest in the following pages, being trauma-informed is a call to action. How individual practitioners answer the call is up to them.

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Beryl Cheal’s SuperGirls

Any trauma-informed practitioner should know that “stressed brains can’t learn.” While this important adage resonates in any setting, the stress referred to can vary wildly. For Beryl Cheal’s SuperGirls, the stresses of war, genocide, and displacement weigh heavy and present additional obstacles for them to overcome. Cheal is tasked with not only providing trauma-informed care, a testing task no matter the geolocation, she must also overcome translation issues, clashes of culture, and a lack of effective educational structure for refugees from regions such as Iraq and Syria. The early success of the program, which was established in 2017 through the Collateral Repair Project (CRP) in Amman, Jordan, is a testament to a career which was built upon, and gained momentum through, Cheal’s trust in the limitless success possible for all children.

Some of Beryl Cheal’s SuperGirls

SuperGirls learning mind body awareness

“I found, early on, the key to success was listening to kids, caring about [them], and helping them find ways to belong,” says Cheal, who began her career as a teacher in Southern California and Washington. Her first international service to children came through the American Friends Service Committee, an organization who challenged her with the task of directing a kindergarten system for 1,500 Palestinian refugees in Gaza. Many opportunities and stops across the globe thereafter, Cheal has built an approach to care that not only will be recognizable by those familiar with the mission of Starr, but directly influenced by its Certified Trauma Practitioner curriculum.

Through games, storytelling, and play, the SuperGirls are overcoming trauma and building resilience. In this structured and safe setting, the girls are learning communication skills, mind body awareness, self-confidence, and independence—all while having fun. “We know that kids who have experienced trauma can’t focus well, as they have been rewired to simply survive,” explains Cheal.

“By playing games with specific rulesets, we can have fun while making sure we play the game the right way. We also have the opportunity to celebrate their culture by introducing games that originated in this part of the world.”

“Beryl’s love and enthusiasm for her work is infectious, and she has helped our staff to make real strides in integrating a trauma-informed approach throughout our programming,” celebrates Amanda Lane, director of Collateral Repair Project.

Beryl Cheal

The challenge for Cheal in 2019 is taking the intergenerational healing and community building that has happened within the SuperGirls program, and begin to apply it to formal education. In September, she traveled back to Amman to start a school readiness program under the SuperGirls umbrella. While the goal will be to introduce literacy and numeracy, the approach will remain the same: trauma-informed learning through play and games.

Read more about Cheal and the CRP at starr.org/supergirls.

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Julie McDaniel-Muldoon’s Work on the World Stage

During her time in the classroom, it was no wonder to Julie McDaniel-Muldoon why she was always attracted those students who struggled to find their sense of belonging. From chess club and Magic the Gathering, to punk rockers and “misfits”, these students always resonated with her. “I was always that way [myself], I never quite fit in,” recalls McDaniel-Muldoon. “[It has allowed me] to be a bit of a teen-whisperer.”

And that’s exactly why she isn’t a classroom teacher anymore.

After a series of events that were met with injustice for students with high needs, earning a PhD in school policy, assessment consultation, and more than a few “dark nights of the soul”, McDaniel-Muldoon has finally found her true calling in bullying prevention. As fate would have it, this is also when she found Starr.

McDaniel-Muldoon at a regional conference for the International Bullying Prevention Assoc.

“As I completed my level 1 and level 2 certification through Starr, I had alternative high schools asking why we weren’t doing more to address trauma. In addition, the CDC had also begun talking about bullying as an [adverse childhood experience.]” This simple connection compelled McDaniel-Muldoon to set out to ensure that no matter what begat what—trauma leading to bullying, or vice versa–they needed to be considered two sides of the same coin. “To be trauma-informed is a call to action. It is paramount that one takes what they have learned and apply it for the greater good.”

So that’s what McDaniel-Muldoon did. And suddenly, she found herself having a prominent voice on this crucial connection.

McDaniel-Muldoon at the World Anti-Bullying Forum in Dublin, Ireland

What began as a talk at regional conferences for the International Bullying Prevention Association, evolved into the opportunity to speak at the World Anti-Bullying Forum this past spring in Dublin, Ireland. To her surprise, McDaniel-Muldoon was the only presenter speaking on the connection between bullying and trauma. “Bullying is simply a symptom of a greater societal ill. It’s the breakdown of relationships and the disconnect between humans that is causing so much pain in the world,” claims McDaniel-Muldoon. “And of 60 speakers, I am the only one talking about trauma. If we’re not talking about bullying as a traumatic experience, then what are we talking about!?”

Watch McDaniel-Muldoon’s webinar on bullying and trauma at starr.org/bullying-webinar.

Julie McDaniel-Muldoon

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Honor/Memorial Gifts June 14 to September 30, 2019

IN HONOR OF:

MADDY SHAW NAJARIAN Dr. and Mrs. Brian Shaw

PHYLIS A. GUNN

ALL CHILDREN Mr. and Mrs. Ted F. Johnson

CAELAN K. SOMA Ms. Patricia Guarino

WILLIAM F. HERMANN

PRENTISS BROWN Mr. Prentiss M. Brown, Jr.

STARR COMMONWEALTH STAFF – PAST & PRESENT Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo Brunetti

H. ROWENA HERRING

KONNER & GARRETT VOIGT Mr. and Mrs. Robert Voigt

Mr. Brian V. Howe

ELIZABETH A. CAREY Mr. and Mrs. Harry J. Bonner Sr. DEBORAH DOLZA Mr. Raymond Opezzo GEORGE AND JUDITH GOODMAN Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Puttkammer

IN MEMORY OF: LOVELLA BARHITE

RACHAEL HARLA Mr. Raymond Opezzo

Mr. Kenneth Barhite

DEBBIE HAYWARD Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Benson

Mr. and Mrs. Bill Bramble

DR. AND MRS. ARLIN NESS Ms. Joyce Soebbing

Dr. James Crowfoot and Ms. Ruth Carey

BEN NESS Mr. Raymond Opezzo

Dr. Miriam S. Daly

THE PINKERTON FAMILY Ms. Connie Rebar

Mr. Robert C. Davis

JOSEPH BRAMBLE RALPH CAREY

DR. HAROLD L. DALY BRUCE WILSON DAVIS BILL GEORGE

Dr. Richard L. Pinkerton, Ph.D.

Mr. and Mrs. David H. Mason Mrs. Dorothy Hermann Mr. John E. Herring EVELYN HOWE

SUSAN K. HOWE

Mr. Brian V. Howe VERNON HOWE

Mr. Brian V. Howe BONNIE HUIBREGTSE

Mr. Wesley J. Huibregtse ELIZABETH KAMINSKY

Dr. Manfred S. Kaminsky JACK LAWLER

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Harker DONALD H. LILJE

Ms. Betty A. Lilje MICHAEL McELROY

Mrs. Bridget Keenan McElroy

DANIEL K. MOORE

Ms. Annette Andrews Mrs. Elizabeth A. Carey Mrs. Becky Domingo Ms. Devon Mayse Mrs. Julie Voigt Ms. Dusty Walker Mrs. Sarah Wasil Miss Lillie Whetstone HENRY OVERLEY

Dr. and Mrs. Melvin L. Reed MARGARET M. PETSCH

Mrs. Marian M. Wood MERT PLACE

Ms. Annette Andrews SHARON ROITER

Ms. Annette Andrews IRIS A. SHAW

Dr. Anthony Shaw CARL & EVA STEWART

Ms. Carol D. Stewart BARBARA TOUSEY

Mr. William H. Tousey JERRY YOHAM

Mr. and Mrs. David C. Dooley

Save the Date!

4TH ANNUAL

NIGHT OF STARRS PRESENTED BY

Real People. Real Care.

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020 18

STARR NEWS

Since 2017, the beautiful campus of Starr Commonwealth has served as the backdrop for an evening of celebration for champions of children.

Through programming, receptions, and student performances, Starr is proud to honor Stand Tall Award winners, as well as introduce new friends to the organization and provide our supporters opportunities to dedicate to our mission.

Visit starr.org/nightofstarrs for more information, including the introduction of our 2020 Stand Tall Award winners.

Should you be dedicated to heal children through sponsorship of Night of Starrs, please visit starr. org/nos-sponsor.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

OFFICERS

Erick Stewart, Chair

Elizabeth A. Carey

(2009 – 2023) President Stewart Industries LLC Battle Creek, MI

President and Chief Executive Officer

Craig Carrel, Immediate Past Chair

Dr. Caelan Soma

(2008 – 2021) President and Partner Team 1 Plastics Albion, MI

Stanley Allen, Vice Chair (2014 – 2023) Configuration Engineering Wells Fargo & Company Des Moines, IA

Lisa Miller, Treasurer (2018 – 2027) President MMK Consulting Group Coldwater, MI

Milton Barnes

Derek S. Allen Chief Operating Officer Chief Clinical Officer

Gary Crist Chief Financial Officer

John M. Thompson II Chief Advancement Officer

TRUSTEES EMERITUS Michael J. Gable Human Resources Executive (Retired) Orlans Associates, PC Troy, MI

George D. Goodman Executive Director (Retired) Michigan Municipal League Ann Arbor, MI

(2019 – 2028) CEO & Founder Play Right Basketball Academy Albion, MI

Honorable Eugene A. Moore

Simon P. Bisson

William K. Stoffer

(2018 -2027) Vice President, Institutional Relations and Development University Hospitals Health System Cleveland, OH

Huilan Krenn

Chief Probate Judge (Retired) Oakland County Pontiac, MI Chairman and CEO (Retired) Albion Machine & Tool Co. Albion, MI

HONORARY TRUSTEES

Erick Stewart, chairman of the Starr Board of Trustees

“What an incredible 6 months. It seems like only yesterday I was introducing myself to the enthusiastic audience at the Night of Starrs.

Since then, I have been amazed with the dedication put forth by President Carey and her staff to embody the spirit of being Driven to Heal—to put healing into action. The success that we have celebrated in 2019 is

(2017 – 2026) Director of Learning & Impact W.K. Kellogg Foundation Battle Creek, MI

Anne Willson Dupré

Sheryl Mitchell

Montecito, CA President Emeritus

any way they can.”

Martin L. Mitchell

Erick Stewart, chairman of the Starr Board of Trustees

(2019 – 2028) City Administrator City of Lathrup Village Lathrup Village, MI

Randy Neumann (2013 – 2022) Vice President J.F. Daley, Inc. San Antonio, TX

Granddaughter of Floyd Starr Toronto, Canada

Diana Starr Langley

truly inspiring, and I encourage all friends of Starr Commonwealth to become involved in

President Emeritus Coldwater, MI

Arlin E. Ness President Emeritus Phoenix, AZ

Sean Silver (2019 – 2028) Senior Vice President Bank of America Merrill Lynch Troy, MI

Keena Williams (2019 – 2028) Assoc. Dean of Students President’s Special Advisor for Global Diversity Albion College Albion, MI

13725 Starr Commonwealth Rd., Albion, MI 49224 800.837.5591 | info@starr.org | www.starr.org Starr Commonwealth is a nonprofit organization serving children and families regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, or sexuality. Starr Commonwealth is accredited by the Council on Accreditation.

Founded in 1913, Star Commonwealth is licensed by the state of Michigan. Starr Commonwealth’s Albion campus is a Michigan Historic Site. Starr Commonwealth receives funds from social agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals.

ACCREDITED CHARITY bbb.org

19

13725 Starr Commonwealth Rd. Albion, Michigan 49224 www.starr.org

Duplicate mailing? Call 800-837-5591 Change service requested

PLA NN ED

GIVING Each day, we are moved by the generosity of donors— each Driven to Heal children. It is our responsibility to convey our gratitude and to remind you that your gift matters. To all who give, thank you!

You have made a great impact, now leave your legacy.

Including Starr Commonwealth in your estate plans ensures your commitment to the children, families, and communities we serve for years to come. Thank you for being Driven to Heal and fostering healing in future generations.

Learn more at starr.org/my-legacy.

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