575 School Safety: Crisis Planning

Conduct Daily Debriefings

These necessary debriefings should be for staff, responders, and others assisting in the recovery. Mental health professionals who have provided services after crises stress the importance of making sure those who are providing the "psychological first aid" are supported as well. Debriefings help staff cope with their feelings of vulnerability.

Also, remember that each person recovers from a crisis at their own pace. After a crisis, healing is a process that has its ups and downs. Depending on the traumatic event and the individual, recovery may take months, or even years.

Evaluate

Evaluating recovery efforts will help prepare for the next crisis. Make sure to use effective methods to evaluate recovery efforts. Conduct interviews with emergency responders, families, teachers, students, and staff. Focus groups may also be helpful to get important information about recovery efforts. Here are a few questions to ask:

1. Which classroom-based interventions were the most successful? Why?
2. Which assessment and referral strategies were the most successful? Why?
3. Which recovery strategies would you change and why?
4. What additional training is needed to enable the school community and the community at large to prepare for future crises?
5. What other planning actions will facilitate future recovery efforts?

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.