By Mckenna Krueger, Marketing Communications Specialist

As school communities settle back into the academic year, we must remember that trauma-informed practice is just as much about taking care of our staff as it is about supporting our students.

So much of the focus each year is placed on the students or individuals served—as it should be. However, staff cannot deliver trauma-informed, compassionate care if they are fearful for their own safety and left unsupported.

Teachers, paraprofessionals, and even transportation staff are frequently placed in situations that leave them feeling fearful and unequipped. Consider a student becoming overstimulated and trying to stab a teacher or peer with a pencil, or a bus attendant attempting to break up a physical fight. While these examples might seem far-fetched to some, they are real-life incidents happening in schools globally.

This is the reality today’s educators experience: more intense behaviors, more challenging situations, increasing demands, and a push toward least-restrictive practices—all without an equal emphasis on prioritizing staff safety and providing practical, real-world tools.

That’s where Ukeru® comes in. Ukeru Systems was developed at Grafton precisely to prioritize staff safety and well-being. In the early 2000s, Grafton was overusing restraint and seclusion, driven by the common misconception that restrictive tools were necessary to keep everyone safe. Ukeru training—which combines the daily application of trauma-informed care, a philosophy of Comfort vs. Control, and specialized physical blocking techniques—was introduced to provide staff with a hands-off alternative to protect themselves. It encourages teams to view behavior as communication, empowering them to act proactively before incidents escalate.

The result? It worked. Staff appreciated having tangible tools to keep themselves and those around them safe. Over time, the use of restraint and seclusion plummeted. Staff injuries, workers’ compensation costs, and turnover went down, while goal mastery and staff retention steadily improved. And, that’s just our story. We are incredibly proud to partner with thousands of organizations globally that have achieved similar, remarkable results using Ukeru. 

When you prioritize and take care of your staff, they can show up as their best selves to provide the highest level of compassionate care. After all, that’s what we all want to do.

At Ukeru, we believe that everyone wants to do well, but we must give them the tools to achieve that success. A vital component of being trauma-informed is extending empathy to those around us and showing up for them in the ways they need to be supported.

Work occupies the majority of our week; we spend a massive portion of our lives within the walls of our workplace. Beyond those walls, we all carry invisible struggles—financial stress, chronic illness, caregiving responsibilities, and mental fatigue. It is incredibly difficult to drop those burdens at the door and seamlessly care for others.

So, why not take care of each other? Why not make someone else’s day a little easier? Why not invest deeply in our staff’s well-being?

As someone navigating a chronic illness myself, I can say from experience that how your workplace shows up for you during hard times means everything. It sends a clear message that you matter, and that you are cared for as a whole person, not just an employee.

That’s what Ukeru is all about: showing up during the hard times and making them easier to navigate.

Providing trauma-informed care and ensuring staff safety and well-being are not competing priorities. They are two sides of the same coin.