575 School Safety: Crisis Planning

Communicate with Student Families

Schools and districts need to keep students, families, and the media informed and must be clear about what steps have been taken to deal with student safety.

• Let families and other community members know what support services the school and district are providing or what other community resources are available to them.
• It might be good to translate letters and other forms of communication into languages other than English, depending on the composition of the communities feeding the affected school(s).
• Be sure to consider cultural differences when preparing these materials.

Emotional Needs

Provide an assessment of the emotional needs of staff, students, families, and responders. The assessment will determine those who might need intervention by a school counselor, social worker, school psychologist, or another mental health professional. Appropriate group interventions may work for staff and students who are experiencing less severe emotions after a crisis.

Provide Stress Management During Class Time

Trauma experts believe it is necessary to create a caring, warm, and trusting environment for students after a crisis. School leaders should provide ways for students to talk about what they felt and experienced during the event.

• Younger children may not be able to fully express their feelings verbally. Therefore, they may benefit from creative activities, including drawing, painting, or writing stories.
• Young adolescents benefit from group discussions where they are encouraged to talk about their feelings.
• Older adolescents can engage in group discussions as well and address any issues of guilt, such as, "I could have taken some action to change the outcome."

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