About - MI-LEAP

The MI-LEAP

Purpose + Goals

Providing the Resources that Teachers Need to Succeed

When you're working with a student who has been exposed to trauma, it's vital to understand how to effectively reach them - that’s where we come in. MI-LEAP has the tools, training, and resources teachers need to implement MMH in a way that's responsive to students’ needs. The current project will test the standard implementation of MMH versus the tailored version of the curriculum to achieve ideal outcomes.

Tailored MMH curriculum

to reduce barriers for delivery

Focusing on trauma-informed approaches

to meet the needs of students

Hands-on support for teachers

to respond to social-emotional health and ATOD prevention

Our goals + components

MI-LEAP is structured to achieve three goals using three tools

MI-LEAP is designed to reduce barriers to MMH delivery by tailoring the curriculum to meet the needs of more students, specifically those exposed to trauma. Teachers are provided with professional development, training, and hands-on support to set them up for success. Trained health coordinators are available to help teachers integrate trauma-informed approaches into their classroom, work through barriers in the classroom, and to facilitate the implementation of the adapted curriculum.

What is the Michigan Model for Health?

The Michigan Model for Health (MMH) is a skills focused K-12 health curriculum that’s recognized by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). The program addresses developmentally appropriate cognitive, social-emotional, attitudinal, and contextual factors related to health behaviors.

What makes MI-LEAP different?
We used a team of teachers, health coordinators, and public health professionals to optimize the components of MMH that could be used to reach students exposed to trauma. The focus of this research is:

Delivery

91% high school teachers in Michigan use MMH, and more than 2/3 find it difficult to implement. Delivering MMH is essential to achieving public health outcomes and improving the well-being of youth.

ACEs

Meeting the needs of youth exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is crucial. ACEs are traumatic events such as abuse, neglect, or drug use, that can have long-lasting effects, potentially leading to substance abuse, disorders, and mental health problems.

Trauma Exposure

1/3 of youth are exposed to 2 or more ACEs and students who have endured 3 or more ACEs are 2.5x more likely to fail a grade. Creating trauma-informed schools is one way to help.

Michigan Model for Health

Barriers to implementation

Additional Resources and Citations

Resources

Citations

Anderson Moore, K, Murphey, D, Beltz, M, Carver Martin, M, Bartlett, J, Caal, S. (2016) Child Well-Being: Constructs to Measure Child Well-Being and Risk and Protective Factors that Affect the Development of Young Children. Child Trends, 61.
Eisman AB, Kilbourne, AM, Ngo Q, Fridline J, Zimmerman MA, Greene D Jr, Cunningham RM. Implementing a State-Adopted High School Health Curriculum: A Case Study. J Sch Health. 2020 Jun;90(6):447-456. PubMed PMID: 32227345; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7202958.
Eisman AB, Kilbourne AM, Greene D Jr, Walton M, Cunningham R. The User-Program Interaction: How Teacher Experience Shapes the Relationship Between Intervention Packaging and Fidelity to a State-Adopted Health Curriculum. Prev Sci. 2020 Apr 20;PubMed PMID: 32307625.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019). Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences: Leveraging the Best Available Evidence. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
What is child trauma? National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/about-child-trauma
Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14, 245-258. 2.
Merrick, M. T., Ford, D. C., Ports, K. A., & Guinn, A. S. (2018). Prevalence of adverse childhood experiences from the 2011-2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 23 States. JAMA Pediatrics, 172(11), 1038-1044.