Reply to "PLEASE HELP! Trauma-Informed Fearmongering and the NEED for Legal SUPPORT..."

Hi Emily - thank you for bringing this discussion to the Ask the Community - I suspect there are other ACEs Connection members who have heard of or experienced similar experiences.  

In California - many school districts contract with School and College Legal Services of CA as parents - we've experienced David vs Goliath when advocating on behalf of our kids.  Us parents vs SCLS - we expected that the best interest of the student would be of foremost importance and we were wrong.  I am not sure if your school district contracts with a similar agency?  Maybe there is a way to connect and link them with a legal ACEs champion? 

These folks are very active ACEs advocates - I wonder if they might know of someone to reach out to?  Here is a bit more info:  www.traumainformedlaw.org   
The trauma-informed law project is a pro bono collaborative project exploring how trauma affects the law.  And how trauma, and traumatized individuals, are impacted by the legal system. Can (or should) lawyers and the legal system become trauma-informed or provide trauma-informed services, and what best practices are emerging?

Please note HIPPA vs FERPA ED.gov Joint Guidance on the Application of FERPA vs HIPSS to Student Health Records

Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule apply to an elementary or secondary school? Generally, no. In most cases, the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not apply to an elementary or secondary school because the school either: (1) is not a HIPAA covered entity or (2) is a HIPAA covered entity but maintains health information only on students in records that are by definition “education records” under FERPA and, therefore, is not subject to the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

You are doing an amazing job of channeling your outrage into action!  Please loop back around to Ask the Community - and share an update.  This may be a bit of a tangled ball ... but I encourage you to keep seeking out the end of the string! 

Wishing you and all the students, staff and volunteers at the school - all the best! 

Karen