CSD Among 15 Schools Chosen to Participate in National Safe Supportive Schools Learning Collaborative

We are excited to announce our district’s participation in a national program to foster safety and support in our schools! City Schools of Decatur (CSD) is one of only two school districts in the Southeast and the only district in Georgia that was selected to participate in the National Safe Supportive Schools (NS3) Learning Collaborative. This two-year program brings 15 school district teams from around the country to collaborate to accelerate innovation and the best practices needed to promote safe and supportive schools. Participating districts will receive two years of training, technical assistance, implementation support and guidance from experts in student behavioral health, cultural responsiveness and equity, and trauma-informed schools.

We corresponded with Dr. Lillie Huddleston, CSD Associate Superintendent of Equity and Student Services who shared a little bit more about what this means for Decatur students.

Why do you think our district was chosen to participate in the NS3 training? I think our district was selected because we have already demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing racial equity and promoting mental health. We also have well-established partnerships with community organizations and our parents and staff members are engaged in supporting mental health services.

Is there an aspect of the training that you’re particularly excited about or that you think is particularly needed for our district? I am really excited about bringing additional cognitive-behavioral training for our mental health clinicians, and providing training in a trauma-sensitive, healing-centered approach for teachers at Renfroe Middle School and Decatur High School.

How do anticipate this training will impact our kids? As more of our students return to in-person learning, we recognize the need for a reset. Our students and staff are learning to re-engage socially after having experienced the collective trauma associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The training will help students and staff learn to cope with stress, build resilience, and address the collective trauma we’ve experienced with compassion.

Will this training help inform the administration on where our focus should be, or expose areas for improvement? Being a part of this collective will help allow us to partner with other districts to learn more about translating theory into practice to improve the mental health and well-being of our students. As we implement new strategies and create space for students to share their concerns, we will likely uncover additional needs.

And lastly, how do you see DEF’s role in this?  DEF has been a key partner in our mental health work for several years. Having DEF’s Executive Director Gail Rothman serve on the NS3 District Leadership team will provide valuable insight from the community, strengthen the alignment of our efforts going forward, and help us identify new ways we can partner to address emerging mental health needs.

“With equity and behavioral health at the forefront of our work, DEF is excited to work alongside CSD in identifying specific strategies which will make our schools more safe, supportive and inclusive for all students,” added DEF Executive Director Gail Rothman. “We look forward to engaging the greater community in this work as it develops.”

Check back soon for updates on the ways in which this program is having a positive impact on our students and our schools.