responding to critical incidents in schools a behavioral health plan october 22, 2010 paul deignan...
TRANSCRIPT
Responding to Critical Incidents in Schools
A Behavioral Health Plan
October 22, 2010
Paul Deignan
Department of Health and Human Services
Scenario
• You are in your office on a quiet Monday
• It's early morning.
• School has just begun for the day.
• One school bus is late arriving due to ice on the roads.
Details of the Incident
• The bus has 26 students from the middle and high schools on board (ages 10 - 17).
• As the bus arrives, the driver is unable to stop the bus. The bus skids and then crashes through the wall of the music room. There are 25 students in the music room.
• Two students are killed and 19 students are injured - four of them severely.
• What steps would your school would take to activate your emergency response plan?
• Which students & staff are most at risk?
• What types of services would facilitate the recovery process?
• How would they be delivered?
Purpose of the Plan
• To enhance existing school emergency response plans
• To expedite the assessment and response to a critical incident
• To clarify roles of responders/helpers
• To enhance a school`s capacity to respond to critical incidents in an effective and compassionate manner.
“Critical Incident”
“Any incident that might impact the emotional functioning of members of the school community:”
• Students
• Faculty
• Parents
Types of School Events
• Student deaths
• Staff deaths
• Accidents
• Suicides• Violence in schools or community
(assaults, murders, drive-by shooting)
• Natural disasters (tornado, earthquake, hurricane, ice storm, etc.)
• School shootings
Prob
abili
ty o
f Eve
nt
Goals for Managing a Critical Incident Planning Phase:
• Have a school or district-wide behavioral health response team in place
• Identify external community behavioral health resources and build relationships
• Provide staff training on ………………………..• Include behavioral health issues in school
based exercises and drills• Update contact information regularly
Goals for Managing a Critical IncidentResponse Phase:
• Ensure safety of staff and students
• Maintain stability of school operations
• Maintain consistency of information• Address the emotional needs of students,
parents, faculty and staff • Collaborate with external resources
Recovery: Key Components
• Physical/Structural Recovery• Business/Fiscal Recovery
• Academic Recovery
• Psychological/Emotional Recovery
Academic Recovery
Youth exposed to violence and trauma have been shown to have:
• Lower grade point averages (Hurt et al., 2001)
• Decreased reading ability (Delaney-Black et al., 2003)*
• More negative remarks in their cumulative records• More reported absences from school (Hurt et al., 2001)
• Increased expulsions and suspensions (LAUSD survey)
• Decreased rates of H.S. graduation (Grogger,1997)
*Source: Delaney-Black, V., Covington, C., Ondersma, S.J., Nordstrom-Klee, B., Templin, T., Ager, J., Janisse, J., & Sokol, R.J. (2002). Violence exposure, trauma, and
IQ and/or reading deficits among urban children. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 156 (3), 280-285.
Restore the Learning Environment
• Act to re-establish a sense of safety
• Return school to routines & schedules
• Support the emotional stabilization of students, faculty and parents
Psychological/Emotional Recovery: Internal and External Resources
• Consider local mental health resources• Develop a structure for support• "Outside" vs. "Inside" help
School District
Public Health
Law EnforcementPublic Safety
Emergency Management
Local Government Mental Health
COMMUNITY
Strategic Assessment
Assessment Tool (Appendix A)
• Assess damage
• Assess internal and external resources
• Create a strategic plan of response
Responding to the Critical Incident
• Day One
• Day Two
• Day of the Funeral
• Post-Memorial Services
• Anniversary
Memorialization
• Policy for memorials
• Temporary memorials
• Living memorials
• Scholarship funds
• Candlelight vigils
• On-line memorials
• Pictures/plagues
• Memory books
Sample Letters/Phone Calls
• Letter to Faculty – death of student
• Letter to Faculty – student suicide
• Phone call to Parents – suicide or murder
• Phone call to Parents – suspected suicide
• Phone call to Parents – sudden student death
Other Issues Addressed In Plan
• Sample After Action Report• Working with the Media• Military Kids• Suicide considerations
ResourcesCommunity resourcesHandoutsWeb sites
CONTACT INFORMATION
Paul Deignan, DBH Coordinator
Cell: 419-0074, Work 271-4462
Mark Lindberg, DBH Liaison
Cell: 991-3366, Work 444-5358
Joan Haskell, DBH Liaison
Cell: 566-3523, Work 889-6147