2026 Conference Archive

The Trauma Challenge: Are You Ready to Lead with Trust-Based Relational Intervention?

First Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

PhD

Year First Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2010

First Presenter's Field of Study

Licensed Social Worker, Psychology, Child Development, Educational Leadership, TBRI Practitioner

Institution Where First Presenter Received Highest Degree

Capella University

First Presenter's Institution

Cherokee County School District

First Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Dr. Quinn-Schuldt currently serves as the Coordinator of Student Support, guiding student services personnel, and supervising district initiatives and interventions related to the social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health for students and staff. Tara manages the school-based mental health services for students with APEX and facilitates the TBRI initiative. Dr. Quinn-Schuldt has worked in the field of social work in a variety of settings including higher education and private practice.

Second Presenter's Institution

Cherokee County School District

Second Presenter’s Email Address

patrick.walker@cherokeek12.net

Second Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

Ed.S.

Year Second Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2010

Second Presenter's Field of Study

Educational Leadership, Behavior Intervention, Mindset Trainer, TBRI Practitioner

Institution Where Second Presenter Received Highest Degree

Lincoln Memorial University

Second Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Patrick Walker is a Behavior Intervention Strategist for the Cherokee County School District. Patrick has spent much of his tenure working with the most difficult behaviors in a Psycho Ed Program, trained under the Marcus Autism Center, TEACCH, Wired Differently and Trust Based Relational Intervention. Patrick is also a certified Trainer in Mindset and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Patrick earned a B.A. in Vocal Performance, MAT in Special Education, and an Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction.

Third Presenter's Institution

Cherokee County School District

Third Presenter’s Email Address

melinda.meadow@cherokeek12.net

Third Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

M.Ed.

Year Third Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2006

Third Presenter's Field of Study

Behavior Intervention, TBRI Practitioner, Special Education, Autism Specialist

Institution Where Third Presenter Received Highest Degree

Georgia Southern

Third Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Melinda Meadow is a Behavior Intervention Strategist for the Cherokee County School District. Throughout her 24-year career as an educator, Melinda has been a Special and General Education Teacher, Autism Support Specialist, Autism Consultant, Early Intervention Specialist and County Service Coordinator. During her career, Melinda has taught in seven different states and two foreign countries. Melinda earned her B.S. degree in Child Development/Child Psychology and her M.Ed. in Special Education with an emphasis in Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Learning Disabilities, and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Fourth Presenter's Institution

Cherokee County School District

Fourth Presenter’s Email Address

megan.jance@cherokeek12.net

Fourth Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

B.A.

Year Fourth Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2016

Fourth Presenter's Field of Study

Special Education, School Counseling, TBRI Practitioner, Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Institution Where Fourth Presenter Received Highest Degree

Kennesaw State University

Fourth Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Megan Jance is a Behavior Intervention Strategist and Registered Behavior Technician for Cherokee County School District. Megan has worked for nearly a decade in Special Education serving students in many capacities including a Pre-K teacher, a paraprofessional, a one-on-one, and a crisis de-escalator on a Behavior Intervention team for K-12. She is Mindset certified and has trained in TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention). “Jance” as she is often called by her coworkers, earned her Bachelor’s in Theatre & Performance Studies from Kennesaw State University.

Location

Percival

Document Type

Individual Presentation

Primary Strand

Mental Health

Relevance to Primary Strand

The Cherokee County School District’s trauma-responsive initiative aligns seamlessly with the Primary Strand of Mental Health by integrating trauma-informed, behavioral, and mental health support into a tiered MTSS framework. Through the connectED cohort model, the district trains staff to better understand the impacts of trauma and to build strong, supportive relationships with students as the foundation for behavior change and academic success. Teachers are equipped with the knowledge and tools to address trauma-related behaviors and support emotional regulation in the classroom. Collaboration with clinicians, social workers, and behavior specialists enhances intervention effectiveness and student outcomes. Additionally, the district prioritizes communication with parents and community partners, strengthening wraparound supports and ensuring consistent delivery of mental health services. This comprehensive, data-driven approach fosters improved student well-being, school climate, and academic growth.

Alignment with School Improvement Plan Topics

Climate and Culture

Brief Program Description

In today’s educational landscape, understanding trauma isn’t optional, it’s essential. Join us to learn how the Cherokee County School District transformed from trauma-aware to trauma-responsive through clear, actionable steps. Discover how leaders, behavior specialists, and social workers built a districtwide culture of support. Explore partnerships, free trauma training, and intensive programs like Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) from the Karyn Pervis Institute of Child Development. Led by certified TBRI Practitioners, this session offers evidence-based tools, practical strategies, and a ready-to-use framework for creating a trauma-responsive plan in your own district.

Summary

In today’s educational landscape, understanding trauma isn’t optional, it’s essential. The Cherokee County School District has transformed from trauma-aware to trauma-responsive through intentional implementation and the creation of its connectED cohort training model. Combining strategic district-wide staff, including administrators, teachers, school support personnel, nurses, and resource officers—we created a collective approach to improving school climate, culture, and overall student outcomes. This comprehensive model integrates mental health, attachment theory, behavior intervention, and trauma responsiveness into the educational environment. This session shares evidence-based tools, a trauma-responsiveness assessment template, and strategies to address contradictions and strengthen trauma-responsive practices.

Evidence

The Cherokee County School District’s trauma-responsive approach demonstrates field-tested effectiveness through multiple layers of evidence. The district moved from trauma-aware to trauma-responsive using step-by-step implementation strategies that are grounded in established research and promising practices. Central to this work is Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) from the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development, a research-based model proven to improve attachment, behavior, and emotional regulation in children who have experienced trauma.

CCSD pairs TBRI with data-driven behavioral and mental health interventions, using MTSS and behavior data to monitor outcomes such as reductions in office discipline referrals, improved attendance, and increased positive student engagement. Leadership, behavior specialists, and school social workers collaborate to implement evidence-based strategies, while community partnerships and targeted trainings reinforce support systems.

Learning Objective 1

Distinguish the differences between trauma informed practices and trauma responsive practices within the educational milieu.

Learning Objective 2

Identify your district’s current level of trauma responsive practices, examining strengths and opportunities for growth.

Learning Objective 3

Create an outline for increasing your school district’s trauma responsive knowledgebase and future direction.

Start Date

6-2-2026 1:00 PM

End Date

6-2-2026 2:00 PM

Recommended Citation

Quinn-Schuldt, Tara Dr.; Walker, Patrick; Meadow, Melinda; and Jance, Megan, "The Trauma Challenge: Are You Ready to Lead with Trust-Based Relational Intervention?" (2026). Southeast Conference on School Climate. 52.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/secsc/2026/2026/52

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.