A step-by-step guidebook for advance preparation and early response to school crises This Second Edition of Preparing for Crises in the Schools arrives at a critical moment. With several recent dramatic examples of school violence and other tragedies afflicting communities nationwide, the need for school districts to take proactive measures–rather than merely react to a crisis–is critical. This completely updated edition offers practical plans for laying the important groundwork to ensure that crisis response will be both immediate and thorough in the wake of tragedy. Authored by three school crisis response planning experts, it offers advice on early detection of trouble, developing plans and procedures to intervene with youths quickly and successfully, and conducting a school in-service workshop on crisis response planning and intervention. Essential for counselors, school psychologists, teachers, and administrators alike, this book helps ensure that schools are not caught by surprise when a crisis occurs.

The latest theory and practice on issues involved in crisis prevention and response. A foundation for developing comprehensive crises teams. Detailed information about the characteristics of responsive schools and guidance on implement practices that promote safe schools.

This book discusses steps helping professionals should take in order to prepare for a crisis in their schools and community. The author introduces a Crisis Management Plan, which discusses ways to restore a school/community to its pre-crisis equilibrium. The author also includes information on how schools should talk to media personnel and parents in times of a crisis, checklists, assessment instruments, and sample documentation forms that can be used in times of a crisis.

Written in accordance with the President's 2003 homeland security directive and the Department of Education's guidelines, and in response to the ever-present threats facing our school systems, this book helps schools and institutions develop a comprehensive emergency response plan. This book outlines programs and procedures that can be applied to any school system to address hazard mitigation and prevention, emergency preparedness and response, and recovery and restoration of school functions to an effective learning environment. It describes specific actions and assigns responsibilities and response roles to district and individual school staff emergency teams, cooperating agencies, and community response partners that have agreed to share responsibilities and resources as defined in this plan. This book also outlines, in the event of an emergency involving response by fire and/or law enforcement, the district/school site personnel who should establish an Incident Command System-based response organization in accordance with procedures outlined in the National Incident Management System. In addition, the authors predetermine, to the extent possible, operational procedures across any U.S. school system and cooperating governmental, private, and volunteer agencies for responding to and recovering from any and all types of natural, human, or technology-based emergencies that may occur within school system operations or outside the jurisdiction of the school system but nonetheless cause/could cause collateral impact to school system operations. Contents examine emergency notification and immediate actions; concept of operations, including first key actions, partnering with community agencies, and the initial briefing; crisis management team action checklists; response resources, including personnel, response team partners, emergency evacuation/receiving facilities, and emergency equipment and supplies; emergency response flip charts for principals, teachers, secretaries, and custodians; district incident-specific response protocols, covering 29 scenarios from accidents to weapons situations; and general response procedures for clean up, communications, cost accounting, tracking students and personnel. Appendices include training and exercises, forms, sample communications and letters, examples of status boards, and a stakeholder management plan.

This book offers a unique collection of narrative case studies that capture the responses of mental health professionals to tragedies in schools and are designed to connect key concepts and skills with real life application. By citing evidence-based theories and interventions with vivid real world accounts, this volume aims to highlight the multi-phased, multi-disciplinary nature of school crisis response while emphasizing the need for effective coordination and collaboration. It provides a powerful professional development resource for school crisis teams, psychologists, counselors, social workers, nurses, resource officers, administrators and teachers, and training university students, who will face similar situations.

Security expert Kenneth S. Trump outlines school security issues and provides nuts-and-bolts strategies for preventing violence and preparing for crises. Includes author's companion website.