Comel Belin, PhD
Current world events such as COVID, racial unrest and war contribute to the prevalence of traumatized children in school settings. Research confirms that traumatized children are either misdiagnosed or misidentified for mental health services until a critical incident occurs between the traumatized child and their classroom teacher. Critical incidents suggesting potential trauma frequently occur in classrooms, bathrooms, and unstructured settings leading teachers to ask the universal question – “Why won’t this child behave?” This workshop provides teachers and school staff with: a) an informed understanding of childhood trauma and the contexts in which critical behaviors occur, b) improved success in classroom management of behaviors to maximize a traumatized child’s social, emotional, and academic success, and, c) improving teacher engagement in school team processes to maximize classroom safety, and the success of interventions and mental health supports for traumatized children.
Dr. Comel Belin has served Arizona’s schools and families as a Certified School Psychologist for sixteen years. She specializes in child and family forensics, trauma and wide ranging school-based disabilities. Dr. Belin is a strong advocate of culturally informed delivery of mental health services across school settings, and her service model adheres to the professional and ethical standards established by the National Association of School Psychologists and American Psychological Association.