Trish Backman is a 27-year special educator who joined KSDE in 2022 as the School Mental Health Coordinator. She has bachelor's degrees in psychology and special education, master's degrees in curriculum and instruction, and administration. She started in education with students grades 7-12 who were identified with behavior disorders and emotional disabilities and finished her 25 years in the classroom working in the correctional setting with violent aggressors and severe mental health concentrations. She worked in public education in large, mid-size, and special population settings. Currently, in her role at KSDE, Trish has worked with significant disproportionality, school discipline, emergency safety interventions, suicide and addiction supports, and grant funding to provide stronger connections within the school and community. She sits on many state-level committees and engages with other state agency partners monthly. Her passion has always been to help each child see who they are and develop the individual strengths they have. She believes all students can learn and grow. She also focuses her work on helping educational staff work smarter together. She brings energy and determination to helping systems work together for the best possible outcomes for Kansas kids.