Crisis Intervention Rebecca Cronander Cassandra Wolf DeShawn Fogle

“A crisis is an event that is extraordinary. It cannot be predicted.... A crisis is a situation where schools could be faced with inadequate information, not enough time, and insufficient resources, but in which leaders must make one or many crucial decisions.” (USDOE, 2003, p. 1-5). Columbine Shooting, Columbine CO

A School Crisis is… Is any event that affects the emotional stability of students and/or staff and disrupts the educational process Ranges in scope and intensity from incidents that directly or indirectly affect a single student to ones that impact the entire community Can happen before, during or after school; on or off school campuses

Types of Crisis Acts of Violence/Crime Death Suicide Health Issues Accidents Intruders Natural Disasters Terrorism Tornado Damage, Chapman KS 2008

Potential Crisis Statistics The National School Boards Association (1993) estimated that 135,000 American children carry guns to school each day. The Department of Education (1999) reported that 3,930 students in public K-12 schools were expelled for bringing a firearm to school in school year

Potential Crisis Statistics cont. From , 116 students were killed in 109 separate incidents—an average of 16.5 student homicides each year (CDC 2008). Likelihood of homicide or suicide of student in school 1 in 1 million (Secret Service, 2002) [Odds of being struck by lightning are 1 in 775,000]

Crisis Management Cycle: Four Phases Mitigation/Prevention Preparation/Readiness Response Recovery Reflection ( Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education)

Mitigation/Prevention Services and programs Efforts to minimize the likelihood of potential acts of violence in schools Assess existing programs and services Know what DOES and DOES NOT work

Preparation/Readiness Develop plan for students, staff, parents, emergency personnel (handout) Planning for the worst case scenario Provide training Exercise the Plan

Response Putting the plan into action ▫Gather the facts ▫Crisis team implements pre-defined roles and responsibilities ▫Notify stakeholders ▫Gather materials and resources ▫Provide space for responsive services ▫Debriefing the day of the crisis

What Does It Look Like CounselorTeacher Contact from Administration Contact and Build Crisis TeamFaculty Meeting Develop Script for Announcement Containing Rumors Communicate ServicesBalancing Process w/Routine TriageExpect Residual Responses Next Steps Group Processing

Recovery Provide support for adults as well as students Evaluation is key to having a strong team and plan Post-crisis meeting Review effectiveness of each phase Make changes as needed

Common Reactions in Students THOUGHTS Difficulty with attention Difficulty making decisions Difficulty learning new information Intrusive thoughts and memories Worries about safety and security of themselves/others Worries of an additional loss or that the event may occur again Self-blame or thinking they are responsible Pre-occupation with death, suicidal ideation (primarily adolescents) FEELINGS Fear about the event Anxiety Sadness Anger Helplessness Irritability Loss of interest in things they used to enjoy Isolation or feeling different from others Guilt Mood swings PHYSICAL COMPLAINTS Difficulty sleeping, nightmares Fatigue Increased activity level Changes in appetite Easily startled Agitation Being on high alert Headaches and stomachaches BEHAVIORS Crying Difficulty getting along with family members, friends and classmates Aggressive or disruptive behaviors Avoiding people, places or situations that remind them of the trauma or loss Difficulty separating from family, including refusal to attend school Acting younger than their age Withdrawal Defiance Repeatedly asking questions about the trauma, or telling stories of the event Reliving the events through play Virginia Tech Shooting, Blacksburg VA 2007

The Professional School Counselor’s role… gs/march-april-2007/crisis-in-the-schoolshttps:// gs/march-april-2007/crisis-in-the-schools Discuss

Any Questions? Thank you for your time!

Resources American School Counselor Association (2007). Professional school counselor and crisis/critical incident response in the schools Gurwitch, R.H., & Schonfeld, D.J. (2011). Support traumatized students. ASCA School Counselor, 49 (1), 13. Sherman, M. D. & Sherman, D. M. (2009). Finding my way: A teen’s guide to living with a parent who has experienced trauma. Edina, MN: Beaver’s Pond Press, Inc. Cornerstone of hope crisis response team. (2012). Retrieved from: School-associated student homicides—United States, 1992–2006. (2008). Center for disease control and prevention.; 57(02):33–6. Retrieved from: statistics-related-to-school-safety/ statistics-related-to-school-safety/ Virginia Department of Education. (2002). Model school crisis management plan. Retrieved from: y_crisis_management/model_plan.pdf