“They come here for sanctuary”: educator perspectives on trauma engaged alternative education

Abstract

Alaska’s alternative high schools use trauma-engaged practices in their education model. Thirteen focus groups with 100 alternative high school educators, staff and administrators were conducted. The study sought to describe the Alaska alternative high school staffs’ perspectives on effective practices and impact of alternative education on drug and alcohol use, suicide ideation, feelings of hopelessness, and community support of alternative high school students. Seven overarching themes related to trauma-engaged education and a focus on social-emotional learning were described by educators. The Alaska alternative education model addresses the root causes of youth engagement in health risk factors.

Keywords:

• Adolescent health
• Alaska
• alternative high schools
• educator perceptions
• focus groups

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This article was funded by State of Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.

Notes on contributors

Vanessa Y. Hiratsuka

Vanessa Y. Hiratsuka is an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her current research interests are community level Indigenous health interventions preventing behavioral health and chronic diseases and the ethical, social and legal implications of genomic research.

Karen Heath

Karen Heath is the co-director of the Center for Human Development at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her current research interests are trauma engaged schools and employment of individuals who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities.