Question 1

Supporting Safety and Healing: A Trauma-Informed Approach for DHH and Students with disabilities

Accepted Answer

Level:1Target Audience:Educators, family-based support organizations, service providers, and community stakeholders supporting children who are DHH and/or disabled.Working Title:Supporting Safety and Healing: A Trauma-Informed Approach for DHH and Students with disabilitiesDescription:Children who are Deaf, hard of hearing (DHH), and/or have disabilities face a significantly higher risk of maltreatment, bullying, and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). These challenges can have lasting effects on their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. This session offers educators, families, and service providers practical, research-informed strategies to identify early signs of trauma, build protective factors, and create safe, healing-centered environments for students.Through a disability-informed lens, participants will explore why vulnerability is elevated for these populations, how to recognize subtle indicators of trauma, and ways to foster resilience both in the classroom and at home. Attendees will also receive tools and resources to strengthen safety nets and support recovery, along with opportunities for community dialogue and shared problem-solving.Submission Date:8/7/2025Bright Spot Provider:Kristin Grender

Question 2

Understanding and Preventing Maltreatment with ARFID: A Guide for Teachers and Families, introduces Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Accepted Answer

Level:1Target Audience:Teachers, therapists, and families who want to deepen their understanding of the eating disorder Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.Working Title:Understanding and Preventing Maltreatment with ARFID: A Guide for Teachers and Families, introduces Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)Description:This presentation, Understanding and Preventing Maltreatment with ARFID: A Guide for Teachers and Families, focuses on stopping the maltreatment of individuals with eating disorders, specifically Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Too often, those with ARFID face harmful responses—ranging from pressure to eat to judgment and isolation—due to misunderstanding of the disorder. This resource equips teachers and families with the knowledge and tools needed to prevent these harmful practices by fostering compassion, awareness, and support. With practical strategies tailored for both home and school settings, the presentation highlights what to avoid, what to do instead, and how to create safe, nurturing environments where individuals with ARFID can be understood and supported rather than mistreated.Submission Date:8/7/2025Bright Spot Provider:Kristin Grender

Question 3

Building Safe, Independent Travel Skills: A Protective Factor for Students who are blind or have low vision

Accepted Answer

Level:1Target Audience:teachers/staff who work with students who are visually impairedWorking Title:Building Safe, Independent Travel Skills: A Protective Factor for Students who are blind or have low visionDescription:This session explores how Orientation and Mobility instruction can be powerful in promoting safety, autonomy, and abuse prevention for students who are blind or have low vision. Participants will learn how O&M instruction lays the foundation for independent travel, spatial awareness, and critical decision-making skills. The session also introduces the role of dog guides in increasing a student's confidence, mobility, and independence, while reducing reliance on potentially unsafe individuals for assistance. We’ll discuss readiness skills for future dog guide users, safety protocols, and how fostering travel independence can support personal boundaries, reduce vulnerability to maltreatment, and build overall empowerment. Strategies for integrating self-advocacy, consent, and situational awareness into O&M lessons will also be shared.Submission Date:8/7/2025Bright Spot Provider:Kristin Grender

Question 4

Recognizing Signs of Maltreatment in Students who are blind or have low vision

Accepted Answer

Level:1Target Audience:teachers/staff who work with students who are visually impairedWorking Title:Recognizing Signs of Maltreatment in Students who are blind or have low visionDescription:This professional development session would introduce participants to the often-overlooked ways that maltreatment can manifest in students who are blind or have low vision.  Because these students may have limited access to visual cues, rely heavily on adults for access, and may struggle to communicate experiences clearly, signs of abuse or neglect may be misinterpreted or missed altogether. This session will walk participants through real-world examples, common red flags, and factors that increase vulnerability, such as overprotection, social isolation, and learned compliance. Participants will learn how to recognize these signs, how to listen and respond appropriately, and how to build more protective, supportive environments within their role.  This session is especially relevant for educators working with students who have multiple disabilities or communication challenges.Submission Date:8/7/2025Bright Spot Provider:Kristin Grender

Question 5

Middle School Students Face a Trifecta of Challenges. Here’s How to Help

Accepted Answer

Level:1Target Audience:Teachers, administrators and parentsWorking Title:Middle School Students Face a Trifecta of Challenges. Here’s How to HelpDescription:Examining the unique social challenges students with disabilities are faced with as they transition to middle school.  Including time for analysis of local data and action planning to prevent the behavioral and academic challenges that often peak in middle school.Submission Date:9/30/2025Bright Spot Provider:Dr. Dustin Bindreiff

Question 6

Recognizing Trauma in Youth w IDD

Accepted Answer

Level:1Target Audience:Providers of care for youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)Working Title:Recognizing Trauma in Youth w IDDDescription:Overview of the incidence and impact of trauma on youth with IDD and their families, including challenges in screening and assessment (diagnostic overshadowing)Submission Date:10/1/2025Bright Spot Provider:Peter D’Amico

Question 7

Safe and Supported: Understanding Child Well-Being in Deaf Education

Accepted Answer

Level:1Target Audience:Teachers of the Deaf, Speech-Language Pathologists, Early Interventionists, and Related Service Providers, as well as Pre-service professionalsWorking Title:Safe and Supported: Understanding Child Well-Being in Deaf EducationDescription:This session introduces the CEC’s new position statement on the prevention of maltreatment of children with disabilities. Participants will learn the unique risk factors children who are deaf or hard of hearing may face, and how safe, supportive environments can be fostered through daily practices. The session highlights the Bright Spots initiative, showcasing examples of individuals and organizations driving systemic change. Attendees will leave with a foundational understanding of the importance of child well-being as an essential component of effective, family-centered care.Submission Date:10/1/2025Bright Spot Provider:Jenna Voss

Question 8

Creating Safe Classrooms: Building Awareness to Prevent Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities

Accepted Answer

Level:1Target Audience:General Education Teachers, Administrators, and Service Providers who Interact with Students with Disabilities, including Pre-service professionalsWorking Title:Creating Safe Classrooms: Building Awareness to Prevent Maltreatment of Children with DisabilitiesDescription:This introductory session builds awareness of the scope and impact of maltreatment on children with disabilities, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Drawing from the CEC’s policy and position statement, the session explores how bias, communication barriers, and lack of awareness can increase risk. Through reflection and discussion, participants will consider how everyday instructional practices and school culture contribute to children’s sense of safety and well-being.Submission Date:10/1/2025Bright Spot Provider:Jenna Voss

Question 9

Foundations of Trauma Informed Pedagogy

Accepted Answer

Level:1Target Audience:Anyone!Working Title:Foundations of Trauma Informed PedagogyDescription:This course is aimed at anyone who is interested in trauma and education. The MOOC includes four units that cover an introduction to trauma, the trauma-informed framework, issues of equity, and ways to shift your everyday teaching and learning practice to be trauma-informed.  It is designed as a starting point for professionals who work in a variety of educational settings including preschool, elementary, secondary, and high school. Learners who complete this MOOC  will be able to: 1) Define trauma and trauma-informed care; 2) Understand why a trauma-informed approach to education is important; and 3) Identify changes they can make to their everyday teaching/learning environments to become more trauma-informed.Link:https://www.coursera.org/learn/trauma-informed-pedagogySubmission Date:10/1/2025Bright Spot Provider:Dr. Catherine Corr

Question 10

Understanding the impact of trauma in early childhood

Accepted Answer

Level:1Target Audience:Early childhood educatorsWorking Title:Understanding the impact of trauma in early childhoodDescription:This training focuses on the impacts of trauma in early childhood and ways teachers may see the impact of trauma manifest in their classroom. Attendees will learn how to view behavior through a new lens and mindset shifts that will help them adopt a more trauma-informed approach.Submission Date:10/3/2025Bright Spot Provider:Mia Chudzik

Question 11

Recognizing the Signs: Observation and Reporting in the Prevention of Maltreatment

Accepted Answer

Level:2Target Audience:Teachers of the Deaf, Speech-Language Pathologists, Educational Audiologists, Special Educators, and School CounselorsWorking Title:Recognizing the Signs: Observation and Reporting in the Prevention of MaltreatmentDescription:This interactive workshop moves beyond awareness to equip professionals with practical skills in observing, documenting, and reporting potential signs of maltreatment in children with disabilities. Participants will examine case scenarios, consider the role of communication access in disclosure, and practice strategies for partnering with families and interdisciplinary teams. Aligned with the CEC’s call for actionable steps, this session emphasizes how teachers of the deaf and SLPs can serve as Bright Spots—champions for safe, nurturing environments that prevent harm and promote resilience.Submission Date:10/1/2025Bright Spot Provider:Jenna Voss

Question 12

Masters Degree Program in Trauma-Informed Practice and Pedagogy

Accepted Answer

Level:2 and 3Target Audience:Graduate StudentsWorking Title:Foundations of Trauma Informed PedagogyDescription:The master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Trauma-informed Practice and Pedagogy will introduce students to the incidence, impact, and causes of trauma in children, including individual traumas, and systems of oppression, bias, and discrimination present in our education system. Participants will learn to recognize the signs of trauma and how to use equity-centered trauma-informed practices, while recognizing and seeking to eliminate the causes of trauma in their circle of influence and in the larger education system.Link:https://www.coursera.org/learn/trauma-informed-pedagogySubmission Date:10/1/2025Bright Spot Provider:Dr. Catherine Corr

Question 13

The Impact of Trauma on Behavior & Learning

Accepted Answer

Level:3Target Audience:K-12 EducatorsWorking Title:The Impact of Trauma on Behavior & LearningDescription:This training introduces a powerful framework that helps educators better understand how trauma impacts student behavior and learning. You’ll walk away with tools to recognize the difference between intentional misbehavior and trauma responses, helping you respond with greater empathy and effectiveness and improve learning outcomes.Submission Date:8/16/2025Bright Spot Provider:Amy Curtiss & Ben Curtiss

Question 14

How to Talk about Child Abuse and Neglect: From Awareness to Action in Your Organization, Meetings, and Community

Accepted Answer

Level:3Target Audience:Parents of children with disabilitiesWorking Title:"How to Talk about Child Abuse and Neglect: From Awareness to Action in Your Organization, Meetings, and Community"Description:This session provides strategies for navigating crucial conversations about child abuse and neglect within various spheres of influence. Participants will gain practical strategies and actionable steps to move beyond simply acknowledging the issue, fostering genuine change and building a culture of child safety within their workplaces, meetings, and communities.Submission Date:8/15/2025Bright Spot Provider:Janet DesGeorges

Question 15

Restorative Practices Implementation

Accepted Answer

Level:3Target Audience:StaffWorking Title:Restorative Practices ImplementationDescription:Restorative practices are especially critical in settings where students and youth have experienced trauma, maltreatment, or chronic adversity. Traditional punitive discipline can retraumatize individuals by reinforcing feelings of powerlessness and exclusion. In contrast, RPs emphasize voice, choice, and accountability within a supportive community, which promotes healing, trust, and resilience. By shifting from punishment to relationship repair, these trainings help educators and staff create trauma-informed cultures that reduce reoffending, improve behavior, and strengthen protective factors for long-term well-being. Using a three-phase implementation model, this training equips districts, schools, and juvenile justice (JJ) facilities with the knowledge and skills to adopt restorative practices (RPs) as a framework for building relationships, repairing harm, and fostering safe, supportive learning environments. Participants learn core components such as restorative circles, conferencing, and proactive community-building strategies, along with implementation planning, staff coaching, and data-based decision makingSubmission Date:9/29/2025Bright Spot Provider:Katie Graves

Question 16

Reducing Restraint and Seclusion

Accepted Answer

Level:3Target Audience:StaffWorking Title:Reducing Restraint and SeclusionDescription:Restraint and seclusion (R&S) should only be used in crisis situations when all other interventions and approaches have been exhausted. A crisis situation is defined as when a student is in imminent harm to themselves or others. Following this PD, practitioners will be able to immediately implement de-escalation strategies, including how to monitor and evaluate their individual self-efficacy in de-escalation responses and reactions to situations prior to employing R & S practices. Additionally, participants will take away trauma-informed practices to immediately implement in their classrooms to mitigate student trauma. Finally, participants will learn the steps for creating a leadership team with a focus on R&S, and how this leadership team should perform continuous evaluations of R&S practices to ensure the maximum safety and ethical implementation of R&S for both students and the staff. Implementation of the practices outlined above will decrease the incidents of R&S, decrease injuries to students and staff, and improve the overall school climate.Submission Date:9/29/2025Bright Spot Provider:Katie Graves

Question 17

How a Sense of Safety Shapes Student Learning and Behavior

Accepted Answer

Level:3Target Audience:Teachers, administrators and parentsWorking Title:How a Sense of Safety Shapes Student Learning and BehaviorDescription:Sharing a wealth of research on the impact of social isolation on student achievement, mental health, attendance and behavior this presentation offers a research based focus on the mental health crisis impacting students.Submission Date:9/30/2025Bright Spot Provider:Dr. Dustin Bindreiff

Question 18

Addressing the overrepresentation of English learners identified as learning disabled

Accepted Answer

Level:3Target Audience:Teachers, school and district level administrators, special education administratorsWorking Title:Addressing the overrepresentation of English learners identified as learning disabledDescription:Based on research analyzing the overrepresantion of Long Term English Learners (LTEL) in special education, root cause analysis of a district’s disproportionality and action planningSubmission Date:9/30/2025Bright Spot Provider:Dr. Dustin Bindreiff

Question 19

Understanding and addressing disproportionality in special education

Accepted Answer

Level:3Target Audience:district administrators, community stakeholders, state and county level administratorsWorking Title:Understanding and addressing disproportionality in special educationDescription:Overview of the overrepresentation of protected groups in special education, root cause analysis of a district’s disproportionality and action planningSubmission Date:9/30/2025Bright Spot Provider:Dr. Dustin Bindreiff

Question 20

Tailoring treatment for neurodiverse youth who have experienced trauma

Accepted Answer

Level:3Target Audience:Clinicians working with neurodiverse youth and their familiesWorking Title:Tailoring treatment for neurodiverse youth who have experienced traumaDescription:Considering working with neurodiverse youth as a cultural competence, this workshop offers a framework (utilizing their neurodevelopmental profile of strengths and weaknesses) with practical strategies (in a matrix of alternative approaches/resources)  for how to accommodate treatment for youth with IDD.Submission Date:10/1/2025Bright Spot Provider:Peter D’Amico

Question 21

Trauma informed care and de-escalation skills

Accepted Answer

Level:3Target Audience:Target Audience: Care givers of youth who work in special education and/or clinical milieu (inpatient/partial hospital) programs with youthWorking Title:Trauma informed care and de-escalation skillsDescription:Discuss the principles and strategies of trauma informed care as applied to prevention and intervention of trauma symptoms in youth programs including the science and implementation of de-escalation.Submission Date:10/1/2025Bright Spot Provider:Peter D’Amico

Question 22

Masters Degree Program in Trauma-Informed Practice and Pedagogy

Accepted Answer

Level:2 and 3Target Audience:Graduate StudentsWorking Title:Foundations of Trauma Informed PedagogyDescription:The master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Trauma-informed Practice and Pedagogy will introduce students to the incidence, impact, and causes of trauma in children, including individual traumas, and systems of oppression, bias, and discrimination present in our education system. Participants will learn to recognize the signs of trauma and how to use equity-centered trauma-informed practices, while recognizing and seeking to eliminate the causes of trauma in their circle of influence and in the larger education system.Link:https://www.coursera.org/learn/trauma-informed-pedagogySubmission Date:10/1/2025Bright Spot Provider:Dr. Catherine Corr

Question 23

Trauma Informed Education Graduate Certificate

Accepted Answer

Level:3Target Audience:Undergraduate & Graduate StudentsWorking Title:Trauma Informed Education Graduate CertificateDescription:The Trauma-Informed Education (TIE) Graduate Certificate program prepares individuals to identify and implement trauma-informed practices in education settings. The coursework covers trauma-informed education, child development, and researching solutions to issues of everyday practice in education. Students can apply course credits earned towards a master's or doctoral program upon admission. This certification provides specialized knowledge in trauma-informed education, enhancing employability and career opportunities in teaching, counseling, school administration, or social work.Link:https://education.illinois.edu/sped/programs-degrees/trauma/cosSubmission Date:10/1/2025Bright Spot Provider:Dr. Catherine Corr

Question 24

Using trauma-informed care to support young children with disabilities.

Accepted Answer

Level:3Target Audience:Early childhood educatorsWorking Title:Using trauma-informed care to support young children with disabilities. Description:You’ve realized the wide-spread rate of trauma and recognize how trauma can impact children with disabilities in early childhood settings. Now what? This training will focus on practical steps that early childhood educators can take to support children with disabilities who have experienced trauma and to prevent re-traumatizing.Submission Date:10/3/2025Bright Spot Provider:Mia Chudzik

Question 25

Looking Through a Trauma Sensitive Lens

Accepted Answer

Level:3Target Audience:Educators, social workers, mental health professionalsWorking Title:Looking Through a Trauma Sensitive LensDescription:This interactive full-day workshop will provide participants with foundational knowledge and applied strategies in trauma-informed practices. Grounded in current research on trauma, neuroscience, and resilience, the workshop aims to equip professionals with the understanding and tools necessary to create safe, supportive, and empowering environments for individuals affected by trauma. **Workshop can be broken down into 2 hour presentations.Submission Date:10/3/2025Bright Spot Provider:Dr. Lonna Housman-Moline

Professional Development

Level 1: Incidence & Impact

Level 2: Observation & Reporting

Level 3: Prevention & Response

Level:	1
Target Audience:	Educators, family-based support organizations, service providers, and community stakeholders supporting children who are DHH and/or disabled.
Working Title:	Supporting Safety and Healing: A Trauma-Informed Approach for DHH and Students with disabilities
Description:	Children who are Deaf, hard of hearing (DHH), and/or have disabilities face a significantly higher risk of maltreatment, bullying, and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). These challenges can have lasting effects on their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. This session offers educators, families, and service providers practical, research-informed strategies to identify early signs of trauma, build protective factors, and create safe, healing-centered environments for students. Through a disability-informed lens, participants will explore why vulnerability is elevated for these populations, how to recognize subtle indicators of trauma, and ways to foster resilience both in the classroom and at home. Attendees will also receive tools and resources to strengthen safety nets and support recovery, along with opportunities for community dialogue and shared problem-solving.
Submission Date:	8/7/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Kristin Grender

Level:	1
Target Audience:	Teachers, therapists, and families who want to deepen their understanding of the eating disorder Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.
Working Title:	Understanding and Preventing Maltreatment with ARFID: A Guide for Teachers and Families, introduces Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
Description:	This presentation, Understanding and Preventing Maltreatment with ARFID: A Guide for Teachers and Families, focuses on stopping the maltreatment of individuals with eating disorders, specifically Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Too often, those with ARFID face harmful responses—ranging from pressure to eat to judgment and isolation—due to misunderstanding of the disorder. This resource equips teachers and families with the knowledge and tools needed to prevent these harmful practices by fostering compassion, awareness, and support. With practical strategies tailored for both home and school settings, the presentation highlights what to avoid, what to do instead, and how to create safe, nurturing environments where individuals with ARFID can be understood and supported rather than mistreated.
Submission Date:	8/7/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Kristin Grender

Level:	1
Target Audience:	teachers/staff who work with students who are visually impaired
Working Title:	Building Safe, Independent Travel Skills: A Protective Factor for Students who are blind or have low vision
Description:	This session explores how Orientation and Mobility instruction can be powerful in promoting safety, autonomy, and abuse prevention for students who are blind or have low vision. Participants will learn how O&M instruction lays the foundation for independent travel, spatial awareness, and critical decision-making skills. The session also introduces the role of dog guides in increasing a student's confidence, mobility, and independence, while reducing reliance on potentially unsafe individuals for assistance. We’ll discuss readiness skills for future dog guide users, safety protocols, and how fostering travel independence can support personal boundaries, reduce vulnerability to maltreatment, and build overall empowerment. Strategies for integrating self-advocacy, consent, and situational awareness into O&M lessons will also be shared.
Submission Date:	8/7/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Kristin Grender

Level:	1
Target Audience:	Teachers, administrators and parents
Working Title:	Middle School Students Face a Trifecta of Challenges. Here’s How to Help
Description:	Examining the unique social challenges students with disabilities are faced with as they transition to middle school. Including time for analysis of local data and action planning to prevent the behavioral and academic challenges that often peak in middle school.
Submission Date:	9/30/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Dr. Dustin Bindreiff

Level:	1
Target Audience:	Providers of care for youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
Working Title:	Recognizing Trauma in Youth w IDD
Description:	Overview of the incidence and impact of trauma on youth with IDD and their families, including challenges in screening and assessment (diagnostic overshadowing)
Submission Date:	10/1/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Peter D’Amico

Level:	1
Target Audience:	Teachers of the Deaf, Speech-Language Pathologists, Early Interventionists, and Related Service Providers, as well as Pre-service professionals
Working Title:	Safe and Supported: Understanding Child Well-Being in Deaf Education
Description:	This session introduces the CEC’s new position statement on the prevention of maltreatment of children with disabilities. Participants will learn the unique risk factors children who are deaf or hard of hearing may face, and how safe, supportive environments can be fostered through daily practices. The session highlights the Bright Spots initiative, showcasing examples of individuals and organizations driving systemic change. Attendees will leave with a foundational understanding of the importance of child well-being as an essential component of effective, family-centered care.
Submission Date:	10/1/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Jenna Voss

Level:	1
Target Audience:	General Education Teachers, Administrators, and Service Providers who Interact with Students with Disabilities, including Pre-service professionals
Working Title:	Creating Safe Classrooms: Building Awareness to Prevent Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities
Description:	This introductory session builds awareness of the scope and impact of maltreatment on children with disabilities, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Drawing from the CEC’s policy and position statement, the session explores how bias, communication barriers, and lack of awareness can increase risk. Through reflection and discussion, participants will consider how everyday instructional practices and school culture contribute to children’s sense of safety and well-being.
Submission Date:	10/1/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Jenna Voss

Level:	1
Target Audience:	Anyone!
Working Title:	Foundations of Trauma Informed Pedagogy
Description:	This course is aimed at anyone who is interested in trauma and education. The MOOC includes four units that cover an introduction to trauma, the trauma-informed framework, issues of equity, and ways to shift your everyday teaching and learning practice to be trauma-informed. It is designed as a starting point for professionals who work in a variety of educational settings including preschool, elementary, secondary, and high school. Learners who complete this MOOC will be able to: 1) Define trauma and trauma-informed care; 2) Understand why a trauma-informed approach to education is important; and 3) Identify changes they can make to their everyday teaching/learning environments to become more trauma-informed.
Link:	https://www.coursera.org/learn/trauma-informed-pedagogy
Submission Date:	10/1/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Dr. Catherine Corr

Level:	1
Target Audience:	Early childhood educators
Working Title:	Understanding the impact of trauma in early childhood
Description:	This training focuses on the impacts of trauma in early childhood and ways teachers may see the impact of trauma manifest in their classroom. Attendees will learn how to view behavior through a new lens and mindset shifts that will help them adopt a more trauma-informed approach.
Submission Date:	10/3/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Mia Chudzik

Level:	2 and 3
Target Audience:	Graduate Students
Working Title:	Foundations of Trauma Informed Pedagogy
Description:	The master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Trauma-informed Practice and Pedagogy will introduce students to the incidence, impact, and causes of trauma in children, including individual traumas, and systems of oppression, bias, and discrimination present in our education system. Participants will learn to recognize the signs of trauma and how to use equity-centered trauma-informed practices, while recognizing and seeking to eliminate the causes of trauma in their circle of influence and in the larger education system.
Link:	https://www.coursera.org/learn/trauma-informed-pedagogy
Submission Date:	10/1/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Dr. Catherine Corr

Level:	3
Target Audience:	K-12 Educators
Working Title:	The Impact of Trauma on Behavior & Learning
Description:	This training introduces a powerful framework that helps educators better understand how trauma impacts student behavior and learning. You’ll walk away with tools to recognize the difference between intentional misbehavior and trauma responses, helping you respond with greater empathy and effectiveness and improve learning outcomes.
Submission Date:	8/16/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Amy Curtiss & Ben Curtiss

Level:	3
Target Audience:	Parents of children with disabilities
Working Title:	"How to Talk about Child Abuse and Neglect: From Awareness to Action in Your Organization, Meetings, and Community"
Description:	This session provides strategies for navigating crucial conversations about child abuse and neglect within various spheres of influence. Participants will gain practical strategies and actionable steps to move beyond simply acknowledging the issue, fostering genuine change and building a culture of child safety within their workplaces, meetings, and communities.
Submission Date:	8/15/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Janet DesGeorges

Level:	3
Target Audience:	Staff
Working Title:	Restorative Practices Implementation
Description:	Restorative practices are especially critical in settings where students and youth have experienced trauma, maltreatment, or chronic adversity. Traditional punitive discipline can retraumatize individuals by reinforcing feelings of powerlessness and exclusion. In contrast, RPs emphasize voice, choice, and accountability within a supportive community, which promotes healing, trust, and resilience. By shifting from punishment to relationship repair, these trainings help educators and staff create trauma-informed cultures that reduce reoffending, improve behavior, and strengthen protective factors for long-term well-being. Using a three-phase implementation model, this training equips districts, schools, and juvenile justice (JJ) facilities with the knowledge and skills to adopt restorative practices (RPs) as a framework for building relationships, repairing harm, and fostering safe, supportive learning environments. Participants learn core components such as restorative circles, conferencing, and proactive community-building strategies, along with implementation planning, staff coaching, and data-based decision making
Submission Date:	9/29/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Katie Graves

Level:	3
Target Audience:	Teachers, school and district level administrators, special education administrators
Working Title:	Addressing the overrepresentation of English learners identified as learning disabled
Description:	Based on research analyzing the overrepresantion of Long Term English Learners (LTEL) in special education, root cause analysis of a district’s disproportionality and action planning
Submission Date:	9/30/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Dr. Dustin Bindreiff

Level:	3
Target Audience:	district administrators, community stakeholders, state and county level administrators
Working Title:	Understanding and addressing disproportionality in special education
Description:	Overview of the overrepresentation of protected groups in special education, root cause analysis of a district’s disproportionality and action planning
Submission Date:	9/30/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Dr. Dustin Bindreiff

Level:	3
Target Audience:	Clinicians working with neurodiverse youth and their families
Working Title:	Tailoring treatment for neurodiverse youth who have experienced trauma
Description:	Considering working with neurodiverse youth as a cultural competence, this workshop offers a framework (utilizing their neurodevelopmental profile of strengths and weaknesses) with practical strategies (in a matrix of alternative approaches/resources) for how to accommodate treatment for youth with IDD.
Submission Date:	10/1/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Peter D’Amico

Level:	3
Target Audience:	Target Audience: Care givers of youth who work in special education and/or clinical milieu (inpatient/partial hospital) programs with youth
Working Title:	Trauma informed care and de-escalation skills
Description:	Discuss the principles and strategies of trauma informed care as applied to prevention and intervention of trauma symptoms in youth programs including the science and implementation of de-escalation.
Submission Date:	10/1/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Peter D’Amico

Level:	3
Target Audience:	Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Working Title:	Trauma Informed Education Graduate Certificate
Description:	The Trauma-Informed Education (TIE) Graduate Certificate program prepares individuals to identify and implement trauma-informed practices in education settings. The coursework covers trauma-informed education, child development, and researching solutions to issues of everyday practice in education. Students can apply course credits earned towards a master's or doctoral program upon admission. This certification provides specialized knowledge in trauma-informed education, enhancing employability and career opportunities in teaching, counseling, school administration, or social work.
Link:	https://education.illinois.edu/sped/programs-degrees/trauma/cos
Submission Date:	10/1/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Dr. Catherine Corr

Level:	3
Target Audience:	Educators, social workers, mental health professionals
Working Title:	Looking Through a Trauma Sensitive Lens
Description:	This interactive full-day workshop will provide participants with foundational knowledge and applied strategies in trauma-informed practices. Grounded in current research on trauma, neuroscience, and resilience, the workshop aims to equip professionals with the understanding and tools necessary to create safe, supportive, and empowering environments for individuals affected by trauma. **Workshop can be broken down into 2 hour presentations.
Submission Date:	10/3/2025
Bright Spot Provider:	Dr. Lonna Housman-Moline