Trinity at McCormack COVID-19-Updates – Trinity Boston Connects

COVID-19 PROGRAM UPDATES

TRINITY@McCORMACK

School Year 2020-2021

Clinical Caseload:

• Trinity@McCormack is seeing about 2/3 of caseload at school for in-person outside therapy walks.

• They are planning an in-person end of year celebration/ graduation with students whose parents are comfortable with them attending and individual virtual celebrations with other students.

• Trinity is focusing on supporting students adjusting, yet again, to a new schedule of learning for last 6 weeks of school and connecting students to appropriate summer activities.

Training for School Staff:

BCLA and McCormack will merge in September 2021 to form a 7-12 High school. In fall 2021 the 9^th grade class of BLCA will move to the McCormack building. In Fall of 2022 the 10^th, 11^th and 12^th grades will move to the McCormack Building. The new school currently called BCLA/McCormack is also in the process of developing a robust partnership with UMass Boston — whose development Trinity@McCormack has been a part for the past few years — to create a clear pathway from Kindergarten (Dever School) through College.

Based on feedback from a teacher who attended the 2020 Summer Learning Institute, BCLA asked Trinity@McCormack to run 6 Professional Development trainings this year covering an overview of implementing the 3 ECP’s in a school. They were also asked to run the McCormack PD’s this year and focused on racial equity in the school and creating McCormack values and practices that actively worked against White Supremacy Culture in schools. For the final PD for BCLA Triniy brought McCoramck teachers to talk about how them have implemented the 3 ECP’s in their classrooms. BCLA Professional Development Evaluations linked here: BCLA PD Evaluations 2021.docx

Boston Public Schools did a survey for all schools around different aspects of their current professional experience and professional development. On issues around Racial Equity McCormack teacher ratings were the highest in the district in BPS Professional Learning Evaluation. A link to data from the BPS survey can be found here: BPS data Equity and professional learning Winter 2020.docx

Trinity@McCormack anticipates a clinical caseload of 15 active student participants for the 2020-2021 school year while it continues its school culture and village work, serving 263 students and 69 staff. Most Trinity@McCormack programs and services have been adapted for virtual engagement.

Their healing work continues with individual therapy, group community time, classroom support, teacher trainings and support, restorative circles, and trauma-informed classroom interventions. In-vivo support has been added to the mix through G-Chat with students who write their counselor when they are struggling during a class, need support, or a quick check-in. Trinty@McCormack staff have also created and implemented a “Stay Engaged Challenge” that helps students learn budgeting skills and earn rewards for achieving school related goals.

ARCHIVED

4/27/20

School Culture:

• We have been invited into planning spaces that other partners have not
• We are an active part of every grade level team meeting & SST – connecting with teachers around student support

Caseload:

• Youth are showing up and likely will continue to show up to the virtual spaces that are offered even if not showing up for academic spaces
• Youth feel connection to one another and are supporting each other to attend Virtual Trinity Spaces
• If students are not engaging in school, Trinity can reach out to them, some families/young people are more likely to respond to Trinity than to school
• Closely connected to process for school resources – able to help students access school supports quickly.

• Clinicians have strong understanding of what students may be struggling with during this time and can treatment plan even if students are only sporadically engaged/ can help teachers find ways to connect to students.

Village:

Able to respond to resource needs quickly and support whole school resource needs as well as caseload.
School sees important of this work even more now

Sustainability and Connection:

• Can rely on systems already in place to plan response to changes
• Have practiced problem solving and adjusting to external forces and have systems to support process.
• Team is honest about needs/ daily check-in.

• Team is holding stress around loosing FT position together – transparency around concerns and process.
• Able to continue program development work despite busy schedule with school and student

3/31/20

• We have connected individually with all but two of our students.

• We are on zoom calls and collaborating multiple times a week with school teachers and admin, working together to figure out the best way to support each student at the McCormack.

• McCormack staff are doing a staff care circle today led by Lindsey Hershel!

• We are continuing to gather resources for family, many resources have been met and accessed but some specific needs are still needing creative solutions.

3/22/20

youth support

1. Ensuring access to basic needs

Clinicians checked in with young people in person or via the phone on Monday, 3/16 and Tuesday, 3/17 to ensure that young people had access to chrome books, internet, school materials, etc. Trinity@McCormack team problem-solved ways to get access, if needed, to essential items.

2. Maintain connection and community with the caseload

• Trinity@McCormack team started an Instagram page to stay in touch with the caseload and share daily tips for managing stress and uncertainty. Check out examples of our first few posts!

• Exploring potential ways to use online platforms, like Google Hangouts, to bring our caseload together virtually.

3. Teletherapy

Clinicians are working to understand family needs and hopes around continuing 1:1 clinical work with young people. Teletherapy via Zoom, FaceTime or Office 365 is being explored. The week of 3/16 is being used to explore options, establish norms as a team and get trained.

4. Virtual ‘study halls’

Trinity@McCormack team will launch on Monday, March 23, a virtual study hall, to support students in developing routines and providing academic support.

5. Communication with teacher teams

Trinity@McCormack will help to facilitate communication between students and teachers regarding virtual assignments, etc.

family support

1. Ensuring access to basic needs.

• Check out this letter we sent home to families on the last day of school before BPS closed.
• Weekly Friday updates sent to families via email/text with resources, information regarding supports, etc.

2. Check-ins with families as the crisis progresses

Trinity@McCormack team will be regularly communicating with families to check in on their well-being, access to resources and/or other concerns as the COVID-19 crisis continues

3. Communication with teachers

Trinity@McCormack will help to facilitate communication between teachers and families regarding virtual assignments, etc.

McCormack community support

1. Compiling resources

Trinity@McCormack team is contributing to city-wide efforts to compile resources to ensure that caseload families (and general McCormack community has access to basic needs)

2. Psychoeducation

• Trinity@McCormack to provide psychoeducation to teachers around the impact of stress on young people

• Trinity@McCormack exploring other ways to provide support to the staff community at the McCormack

Connect with Trinity@McCormack on Instagram