On this bonus clip from Secured, Daniel Maigler, Mental Health Advisor at Paws for Patrick, weighs in on how schools and communities can better respond in the aftermath of trauma. His message is clear: true healing takes time, space, and honest conversation—even when the topics are uncomfortable.
In the wake of student suicides or traumatic events, communities often rush to restore order. But Maigler emphasizes that the most important step is to allow people to “stay in the messy”—to debrief, grieve, and talk through their emotions. Avoiding conversation out of fear, especially about topics like suicide contagion, can do more harm than good.
He also challenges schools to confront one of the most avoided topics in student mental health: sex positivity. While most institutions offer guidance on abuse prevention, they rarely discuss what healthy intimacy looks like. Without this context, students lack the tools to understand, compare, or process their experiences in a meaningful way.
Maigler points out that sexual trauma is among the most common forms of trauma faced by students. Until we create space to talk about sexuality in a constructive, values-informed way, we won’t be able to fully support healing—or prevention.
To move forward, schools must not only respond to what went wrong, but also model what safety, connection, and emotional health should look like.
