FOCUS
Alanna hopes to address the disproportionate impact of the school-to-prison pipeline on marginalized youth. While current interventions help reduce exclusionary discipline overall, they have not addressed racial disproportionality. In addition, many youth have unaddressed trauma histories that place them at risk for incarceration, which may further traumatize them. Alanna seeks to develop restorative practices, behavior interventions, and policies that target the prevalence of disparate outcomes between populations. She would also like to facilitate trauma-informed care implementation in schools as a preventive measure to address the root cause of challenging behaviors. Her research will help to build a Culture of Health by exploring ways to integrate collaborative mental healthcare services into existing systems and developing culturally responsive interventions to support the needs of all youth. She aims to promote adequate care for the most vulnerable in place of criminalization.
MORE ABOUT ALANNA
As an African American woman, Alanna’s interest in the carceral state stems from its longstanding impact on her community. Her work experience in education, mental healthcare, and juvenile justice has emphasized the value of interdisciplinary teams in advancing health equity. Alanna hopes to leverage these perspectives to promote systems change.
