Preparing for Crises in the Schools

A step-by-step guidebook for advance preparation and early responseto school crises

This Second Edition of Preparing for Crises in the Schools arrivesat a critical moment. With several recent dramatic examples ofschool violence and other tragedies afflicting communitiesnationwide, the need for school districts to take proactivemeasures-rather than merely react to a crisis-is critical.

This completely updated edition offers practical plans for layingthe important groundwork to ensure that crisis response will beboth immediate and thorough in the wake of tragedy. Authored bythree school crisis response planning experts, it offers advice onearly detection of trouble, developing plans and procedures tointervene with youths quickly and successfully, and conducting aschool in-service workshop on crisis response planning andintervention.

Essential for counselors, school psychologists, teachers, andadministrators alike, this book helps ensure that schools are notcaught by surprise when a crisis occurs. Crisis Theory.

Getting Started.

Developing and Implementing a Crisis Response Policy.

Components of a Crisis Preparedness Plan.

Components of a Crisis Response.

Psychological Triage and Referral.

Crisis Intervention.

Media Relations.

Security and Safety Procedures.

Working with Potentially Violent Students.

Emergency Medical and Health Procedures.

Evaluating and Debriefing the Crisis Response.

References.

Appendices.

Index. STEPHEN E. BROCK, PhD, and SHARON LEWIS, MA, school psychologistswith the Lodi Unified School District in Lodi, California,spearheaded the development of Lodi's crisis response team. Dr.Brock is also the author or editor of numerous publications on thistopic, including Best Practices in School Crisis Prevention andIntervention.
JONATHAN SANDOVAL, PhD, University of California, Davis, is theauthor or editor of several other books on this subject, includingCrisis Counseling, Intervention, and Prevention in the Schools. Heis also a past president of the American PsychologicalAssociation's Division 16 (School Psychology).
All three authors have vast experience implementing crisis responseplans and working with school administrators to evaluate theireffectiveness. From Jonesboro, Arkansas, to Littleton, Colorado, the past several years have seen frightening and dramatic examples of violence in our schools. As these and other harrowing incidents–from natural disasters to suicides–have become sadly familiar, communities have begun to expect their schools to be prepared to immediately respond to the aftermath of these crises.

Authored by a group of school psychologists who have helped to implement crisis response plans in many school districts and facilitated numerous crisis response workshops, Preparing for Crises in the Schools presents a workable framework for a proactive response to tragedy. This completely revised and updated Second Edition reports the latest findings on initiating and implementing district-wide and building-level school crisis response plans.

This step-by-step guide aids counselors, school psychologists, teachers, and administrators in developing an action plan for responding to the multiple issues generated by school crises. This invaluable planning tool includes:

• A chapter on the early detection of potentially violent students–with concrete ideas on how to proactively respond to the special needs of these youth
• Anecdotal vignettes illustrating actual school crises and the responses by school personnel
• A blueprint for crisis response training, including a complete in-service workshop designed to facilitate crisis intervention skill development
• Guidelines for responding to the unique opportunities and dangers presented by media attention
• Recommendations for helping to ensure student and staff safety and security before, during, and after crises
• Suggestions for assessing crisis response plan readiness
• Guidelines for debriefing and evaluating a school crisis response

The future of our children necessitates that they enjoy a stable, peaceful learning environment. With Preparing for Crises in the Schools, educators will have a first-rate outline for promoting and maintaining such an atmosphere, even when faced with adversity.

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.