Speaker Bio
Dr. Dana Page
Black Cultural Liaison, Turn the Page Consulting
Dr. Dana Page is Founder of Turn the Page Consulting where her work focuses on disrupting inequitable systems in special education and advancing culturally responsive, trauma-informed practices that meaningfully support Black students and families.Through Turn the Page Consulting, Dr. Page partners with schools and organizations to address racial disparities in behavioral identification, trauma-informed practice, and family engagement. Her expertise includes school climate, culturally responsive systems change, and interrupting policies and practices that disproportionately impact Black students and families. She integrates research, lived experience, and practical implementation strategies to equip school social workers with tools that foster belonging, safety, and healing-centered practice.
Breakout 6B
From Behavior to Belonging: Culturally Responsive, Trauma-Informed Practices for School Social Workers
Dr. Dana Page
School social workers are often the first responders to student behavioral and mental health concerns yet behavior referrals are shaped by trauma, implicit bias, and systemic inequities. This interactive workshop reframes student behavior as communication while examining how race, culture, and policy intersect with trauma-informed practice. Participants will explore research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), behavioral functions, and evidence-based classroom strategies. Through case studies and practical application, attendees will learn how to integrate culturally responsive approaches into assessment, intervention, and systems-level decision-making. Participants will leave equipped with concrete tools to reduce disproportionality, strengthen regulation and belonging, and shift school mental health practice from reactive to relational.
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Learning Objectives:
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Analyze student behavior through an integrated trauma-informed and culturally responsive framework, including application of research on ACEs, behavioral functions, and implicit bias.
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Apply at least three evidence-based engagement and de-escalation strategies (e.g., positive greetings at the door, pre-correction, instructional choice, high-probability request sequences) in ways that support regulation and reduce exclusionary discipline.
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Identify one systems-level action step to address racial disproportionality in behavioral referrals, intervention practices, or mental health supports within their school or district.
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CEUs: 1 BOSW Culturally Responsiveness, PELSB Cultural Competency