September 21, 2020
The Grinnell Area Mental Health Consortium–JPK Fund recently sponsored trauma sensitivity training for all employees of the Grinnell-Newburg school district. The Sept. 2 training was administered by Please Pass the Love, the Des Moines chapter of a national nonprofit organization that focuses on strengthening and developing mental health systems for schools.
The JPK Fund was established in 2017 by physician J.R. Paulson to honor his late colleague, Dr. Jeffrey P. Knobloch. The fund supports Poweshiek County area residents who are financially unable to afford services for mental health related needs, and one of the fund’s stated goals is to support educational endeavors.
G-N administrator Brian Conway, who coordinated the district-wide training, said the local district decided to offer the staff training because “student mental health and staff trauma training is essential to maintaining a healthy and high-functioning district.
“All district stakeholders have different needs that we continuously work toward meeting, Training like this offered by Please Pass The Love allows our district to address the many different needs we are tasked with serving on a daily basis and to provide our staff with the tools to meet those needs.”
The Please Pass the Love organization provides evidence-based, culturally responsive strategies through education and training in school mental health systems, leadership to engage and empower students to create sustainable school climate change and advocacy for comprehensive school mental health policy change.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the training was delivered in a virtual setting. Teachers participated in virtual large group instruction, breakout sessions, and group discussion and problem-solving exercises. Some of the topics included educator self-care, intentional relationship building, and the importance of trauma sensitive schools.
“The training was well received by our staff overall. It was an uplifting message that set the tone for this year about taking care of ourselves and our students in these challenging times. We discussed some of the situations that students could be returning to school with this year,” Conway explained.
“The partnership with the Mental Health Consortium-JPK Fund made it possible for our staff to receive training focused on creating impactful relationships and continuing our efforts to best serve district families, plus self-care best practices for our staff to create an environment of wellness throughout school district.”
The Grinnell Area Mental Health Consortium, which includes mental health providers, clergy and concerned citizens, oversees the growth and distribution of the JPK Fund managed by the Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation. Since 2017, more than $90,000 in gifts to the JPK Fund have supported programs like the recent teaching training, reimbursed providers through a voucher system, and offset medication costs for nearly 200 individuals.
Gifts to the JPK Fund to benefit Poweshiek County area residents may be sent in care of the Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation, PO Box 284 – 1510 Penrose Street, Grinnell, Iowa 50112, or donated online at ahrensfamilyfoundation.org/partner-program-funds.
