Using research-practice-policy partnerships to mitigate the effects of childhood trauma on educator burnout

BACKGROUND: The effects of COVID-19 pandemic on children have been immense. OBJECTIVE: In this commentary, we argue for the need to utilize research-practice-policy partnerships to address the issue of educator burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Education systems have the potential to be the site of public health interventions in helping to identify and address the needs of children and families. METHODS: In this commentary, we review the literature on child trauma and adversity, educator burnout, and research-practice-policy partnerships. RESULTS: With the return to in-person learning, educators, and the systems in which they work are overwhelmed by the magnitude of mental health challenges presenting in the classroom due to child trauma. As a result, many educators are reporting high levels of compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout, which are known predictors of leaving the workforce. Many of the strategies employed to address educator compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout focus directly on the individual level (e.g., deep breathing, yoga). Yet the compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout are rooted in larger system failures to address the growing needs of children and families. CONCLUSIONS: By bringing together key community members, including educators, and utilizing local data to inform policy decisions, actionable, trauma-informed solutions can create the conditions for thriving educators and therefore, thriving children.