Prince George's County truancy work group focuses on trauma‑informed training and school mental‑health services

Prince George's County Council member Crystal Orieva, co‑chair of the county’s truancy work group, opened a meeting on recommendations to address chronic absenteeism by focusing on root causes and mental health supports.

The work group discussed several long‑ and short‑term proposals including making trauma‑informed training more systemic, expanding access to in‑school and telehealth mental‑health services, scaling social‑emotional learning across schools, widening peer‑led supports, and evaluating alternative learning options for students with chronic health or family challenges. "We are focusing on truancy recommendations around root causes and mental health," Orieva said at the start of the session.

Why it matters: school officials said many students who miss class have underlying mental‑health needs that current staffing does not meet. Officials described a layered approach—prevention through social‑emotional learning (SEL) and counseling, targeted interventions by social workers, and more intensive clinical services—while warning that workforce shortages and funding transitions constrain implementation.

Trauma‑informed training and broader staff coverage: Work group members reviewed a recommendation to require trauma‑informed practices and training for school staff beyond classroom teachers, such as cafeteria workers and bus drivers. A county education official said existing offerings are largely voluntary continuing‑education courses and not a systemic requirement. "There's a long list, a whole host of things people can do for their continuing education credits… but so…