In its effort to strengthen the faculty’s capability to deal with mental health issues of the students, the University of Baguio High School held a seminar on Trauma-Informed Instruction last August 3, 2023 at Baguio-Benguet Community Credit Cooperative Hall.
The seminar was attended by the faculty members, staff, assistant principals, and principal of the school. Dr. Irene Alcantara who is a psychologist and a member of the Philippine Mental Health Association-CAR chapter was the resource speaker.
Dr. Alcantara discussed the factors and manifestations of trauma. She emphasized to the teachers that as second parents, it is beneficial if they are also aware of this information so that they could help address the needs of traumatized students. Not that they will handle the cases themselves but they could help through referrals to the Center for Counselling and Student Development ( CCSD) of the university. As teachers, they could be more cautious, caring, and understanding of the predicament of the students with trauma.
The two-hour seminar ended with a forum whereby the teachers got a chance to raise concerns and issues they encountered relevant to the topic.
