Mayday, Mayday When Crisis and Death Impact a School Minnesota Association for Children s Mental Health Conference May 2, 2011 Mary T. Schmitz, MSW, LGSW, School Social Worker Judy Johnson, Prevention Specialist 1
Objectives of Presentation Participants will Identify the key components of school district s crisis plan focused on response and recovery in the area of mental health Define the purpose of Safe Rooms in supporting children/youth, staff and parents in times of crisis, death and/or loss List and describe the stages of development and how each affects a child s basic understanding of death Understand the varying needs of the bereaved Examine resources for crisis planning and grief and loss 2
The Four Phases 3
To reduce or eliminate risk to life or property: School Climate Bully Prevention Threat Assessment Student Assistance Tip line The process of planning for the worst case scenario: Crisis Teams Procedures Training and drills Notification systems 4
Restoring the teaching and learning environment after a crisis: Physical damage Processing in the classroom Referrals to services Memorials (Memory events) Anniversaries of events Steps taken during a crisis. Involves working closely with law enforcement, emergency management & public & mental health agencies : Incident Command Initiating response plan Media Response Mental health support 5
FLIGHT TEAM AND SAFE ROOM PHILOSOPHY & STRUCTURE 6
Flight Team Definition A district or regional team of individuals from a variety of schools who have been trained to fly in to support any school in crisis. They ultimately report to the site administrator and help support the building s Rapid Response Team. 7
Organizational Structure Principal Flight Team Rapid Response Team Flight Team Leader Safe Room Coordinator Safe Room Staff 8
Crisis Teams Rapid Response Team Comes from the same building as crisis Small pool of resources Walking wounded Burn out Is an essential component in districtwide team and crucial for initial response Flight Teams Team consists of members outside of the building in which the crisis has occurred Greater pool of resources than building-level teams Can leave district vulnerable Burn out if several deaths in a short time 9
Our District s Flight Teams DISTRICT-WIDE MODEL Divided into 8 teams (A-H) Flight Team Leader Safe Room Coordinator Safe Room staff Teams are selected on a rotating basis Alternates are available One-on-one support available 10
District Statistics The first Flight Team training was held in January 2004, conducted by Cheri Lovre, Crisis Management Institute Currently there are 47 Flight Team members serving on 8 teams Flight teams have been called in to provide support and assistance for over 44 response/recovery situations 11
Flight Team Membership School Social Workers School Counselors School Psychologists District-level coordinators Health Clerks Clerical staff Teachers Principals Cultural Liaisons Licensed Mental Health Therapists County Probation Officers Community Agency Staff 12
Safe Room Staffing Flight Team Leader: Coordinates between building staff and safe room staff Safe Room Coordinator: Procures all supplies and is under direction of the Flight Team Leader Safe Room staff: Facilitate grief activities, monitor and refer 13
The Safe Room is a temporary space created after a tragedy, crisis, or loss where students who are most impacted can receive additional support. designed to give students an opportunity to learn about, process, and find meaning of the loss for themselves simply described to students as the drop-in center or place where people are gathering 14
Safe Room Process Sign in/out Direct parents to other sources of support Welcome and Engage Distinguish grief support from trauma support Facilitate their conversations with each other Remain open to student reactions Control rumors Encourage students to stay as long as necessary Encourage students to practice self care Identify and refer students at risk Help students transition back to class 15
5 Categories of Students in Safe Room Students who are in shock Students who have suffered an unrelated loss Students who have problems at home Students who tend to spin out of control any time the school environment is destabilized Students who are curious 16
Keys to Successful Safe Room Efficient handling of information High level of training, practice, skill Effective behavior management Educated needs assessment 17
Memory Events Provide an opportunity to pay tribute to a life and bring closure to the grieving process Give opportunities for sharing memories and to acknowledge the loss The more students take ownership of the process, the more effective the process will be. Family is invited; however, the focus is on the students/school 18
Conversations with the Bereaved 19
Resources Crisis Management Institute www.cmionline.org US Department of Education www.ed.gov/emergencyplan Minnesota School Safety Center www.mnssc.state.mn.us/ 20