Students who have been exposed to traumatic experiences often face challenges that extend far beyond the moment of the event itself. Trauma can affect emotions, behavior, relationships, and the ability to learn. Families, caregivers, and educators play an essential role in identifying when a young person may need help, and early support can make a significant difference in long-term outcomes.
DISC Village provides Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET), a school-based group intervention designed to help students build coping skills, reduce symptoms, and regain confidence in their daily lives. SSET is a structured, evidence-informed program that gives students the tools they need to understand their reactions and begin healing in a safe, supportive environment.
This guide highlights the common signs of trauma in youth and explains how SSET helps students strengthen their emotional wellness, academic engagement, and overall resilience.
Common Signs of Trauma in Students
- Anxiety or Nervousness: Students may appear tense, on edge, easily startled, or overly worried. Trauma can also lead to difficulty concentrating, which impacts classroom performance.
- Withdrawal or Isolation: Some students become unusually quiet, avoid social interactions, or retreat from activities they once enjoyed. Withdrawal is often a way of protecting oneself when emotions feel overwhelming.
- Depressed or Low Mood: Persistent sadness, irritability, or loss of interest in everyday activities may signal that a student is having difficulty processing a traumatic experience.
- Acting Out in School: Disruptive behavior can be a sign that a student is struggling emotionally. Trauma may show up through anger, defiance, or difficulty following classroom directions.
- Impulsive or Risky Behavior: Some students cope through impulsive actions that temporarily relieve stress but create challenges in school or with peers. This may include rule-breaking, physical aggression, or taking unnecessary risks.
Recognizing these signs early helps ensure that the student receives support before symptoms become more disruptive or interfere with long-term well-being.
How does SSET Help Students Heal and Grow?
We offer the Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET) program within local schools to ensure students have access to help where they feel most comfortable. SSET is a close adaptation of the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) model, an evidence-based intervention traditionally delivered by mental health professionals.
SSET maintains the same foundation of skill building and trauma education, but is structured for delivery by trained school personnel with support from behavioral health partners like DISC Village.
Key components of SSET include:
- Understanding Common Reactions to Trauma: Students learn that their feelings and physical responses are normal reactions to an overwhelming experience. This reduces shame and helps them feel less alone.
- Relaxation and Self-Regulation Skills: Youth develop strategies such as controlled breathing, grounding techniques, and positive self-talk. These skills lower anxiety and help students feel more in control throughout the school day.
- Coping Strategies: Students learn practical tools to handle stress, solve problems, and navigate challenging emotions.
- Approaching Difficult Situations: The program teaches students how to safely face situations they may have been avoiding. This helps reduce avoidance behaviors and supports healthy functioning.
- Developing a Trauma Narrative: Students who feel prepared can work on a trauma narrative, a guided process that helps them understand and process the event in a safe and structured way. This technique reduces emotional intensity and supports long-term healing.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Participants learn how to break down challenges into manageable steps, evaluate options, and make healthy decisions.
Throughout the 10-session program, students gain increased confidence, improved emotional awareness, and a stronger sense of safety. The group format also helps students feel supported by peers who understand what they are experiencing.
Why Early Support Matters
Early intervention is one of the strongest predictors of long-term recovery for youth exposed to trauma. Unaddressed symptoms can affect school performance, friendships, and relationships at home. Programs like SSET help prevent long-term emotional and behavioral challenges by offering students an opportunity to regain stability through compassionate, structured support.
School-based interventions also remove barriers that often prevent youth from accessing behavioral health services. Students can participate during the school day in a familiar and accessible setting.
We are committed to helping students build healthy coping skills, develop emotional resilience, and strengthen overall well-being through trauma-informed school partnerships.
How to Get Students Connected to Support
DISC Village provides the SSET program in participating schools through collaboration with administrators, teachers, and counselors. Caregivers, school staff, or child-serving professionals who believe a student may benefit from trauma support can contact us for more information about availability in their area.
Supporting students exposed to trauma begins with understanding, awareness, and timely intervention. Through programs like SSET, students gain the skills and confidence needed to move forward with strength and hope.