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The Carter County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with the Carter County School System in an initiative aimed at addressing children’s exposure to violence and trauma, with the goal of providing additional support to affected students.

The Handle With Care program was first implemented in 2013 in West Virginia. Based on its success there, the program has expanded to other states. In Tennessee, the Handle With Care program is facilitated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for local partnerships between first responders and school systems.

Childhood exposure to violence and trauma, without the right support, is often associated with poor emotional, behavioral, and physical health outcomes, as well as poor school performance. Handle With Care seeks to mitigate the negative impacts of trauma by providing on-site support and trauma-focused interventions by school staff or mental health providers if necessary. Children identified by responding partners and school personnel are given the help they need.

“The goal of this partnership and the Handle With Care program is for all students to succeed, despite the circumstances they experience outside of school,” said Jenny Jones, BSW, with Carter County School System’s Coordinated School Health/Family Resource Center. “We have trauma-informed faculty and staff who are trained to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, with student support coordinators and counselors available at every school in the district. We are grateful for this partnership with the Carter County Sheriff’s Office and the additional layer of support it provides for our students.”

Here’s how the program works: If an officer responds to a home due to a potentially traumatic event – such as a death in the home, house fire, overdose, or domestic violence – the officer completes a Handle With Care notification. This notification is sent to the program coordinators at the school system. The notification contains only the words “Handle With Care” and does not include specific information about the incident, in order to protect the privacy of the student and their family. This message alerts school staff that something has happened in the child’s life and prompts them to watch for signs of traumatic stress, such as crying, anger, withdrawal, or behavioral changes. School personnel can then provide additional support or, if necessary, work with the school counselor or social worker to get the student further assistance.

“I believe Handle With Care will provide students who are dealing with traumatic life experiences access to the support they need to make it through a difficult time,” Sheriff Mike Fraley said. “I am proud of the work between my department and the Carter County School System to bring this program to our students.”