Anderson District One

Crisis

Recovery

Plan

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Anderson School District One Guidance Program is to provide assistance to all students in acquiring skills, knowledge, and attributes needed to become effective students, responsible citizens, productive workers, and lifelong learners. With focus on the South Carolina Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Standards of Learning to Live, Learning to learn, and Learning to Work the program addressed the personal/social, educational and career needs of all students.

PHILOSOPHY

Anderson District One has undertaken the task of planning fordifferent crisis situations. It is our contention that by thinking through possiblecrisis and providing possible solutions to them, all persons involved in dealing withthese situations will be better prepared to handle them in the best possible manner. We feel these are safeand logical steps to be considered when faced with a crisis situation. Our primaryconcern is for the health and safety of all.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLAN DESCRIPTION

Anderson District One has developed a Crisis Management Plan toaddress prevention, intervention and post-intervention of crisis situations. The planprovides uniform predictable applications, and is intended to prepare all school personnel to work together in providing a nurturing and safe place for the healing process to begin. This system outlines steps to be taken in the eventof a crisis and provides steps for preventative follow-up.It is understood that every crisis situation has the potential for certain uniquecharacteristics; therefore this plan is not comprehensive as a total plan of action for everycrisis. It ispresented as a logical series of steps that can be used to dealwith specific crisis. It is understood that the individual for crisis-team making thedecisions at the time of the event will need to use his/her best judgment in applyingor modifying this plan to handle the situation in the safest, most efficient andcompassionate manner.

Purposes of the Crisis Recovery Plan

  • To increase awareness of the needs of children and adults with reference to losses
  • To present a team approach to responding to a crisis, which will permit the school to act responsibly in a pro-active manner
  • To provide guidelines and materials for conducting inservice programs for all staff and community providers
  • To provide educational information that will be useful to parents
  • The focus of the plan is on Responding with Ability

Crisis Recovery Procedures for Schools

Administrator Responsibilities

  • Principal (or team coordinator) confirms event with emergency personnel or family
  • Principal notifies superintendent and public information officer
  • Principal notifies School Crisis Team with a meeting time and place to determine level of response and need for a faculty meeting
  • Principal contacts guidance counselor to initialize communication/telephone tree
  • Work with crisis team to develop written announcements, handouts, or other materials for teachers and/or students/parents
  • During the faculty meeting evaluate the need for staff members’ reassignment or assistance with the announcement
  • Remind faculty and staff of the media policy. All communication is done through the district. No one should talk to the media unless it is cleared through the D.O.
  • Provide additional information at the end of the day to faculty, staff, students, and parents as needed.
  • Call a faculty meeting for the end of the school day to discuss and evaluate the events of the day. Future needs will be determined at that time.

Crisis Recovery Procedures for Schools

Crisis Team Responsibilities

  • Crisis Team begins telephone tree
  • Crisis Team informs substitute teachers, community providers, and other district resources as necessary
  • When a faculty meeting is necessary the crisis team will work with administration to prepare written announcements, handouts, or other materials for teachers, students and/or parents
  • Input will be solicited from the faculty and staff to determine which students may be most significantly affected
  • Remind faculty and staff the media policy with regards to crisis situations. All communication with media is done through the district
  • Before the school day begins, students who appear to need special assistance will be placed in a carefully selected, quiet room where support personnel will be present. The quiet room will be available throughout the day for any additional students requiring assistance.
  • The faculty will read their prepared announcement to the students during homeroom. Teachers will refer any students needing special assistance to the quiet room.
  • Classes will resume normal operations as soon a possible. Classes that are significantly impacted by the event will receive special assistance from the Recovery Team and/or outside resources.
  • Further information will be communicated to the faculty, staff, students, and parents at the end of the day.
  • A faculty meeting will be held at the end of the school day to discuss and evaluate the events of the day. Future needs will be determined at that time.

Helpful Suggestions for Counseling

What Should You Do With The Empty Chair?

  • Regardless of the cause of death of a student, ask the students what to do with the empty chair and they will most likely say, leave it alone.
  • If the student sat in the same seat each day, none of his classmates are likely to be interested in sitting there. The vacant chair is a healthy reminder of his/her absence.
  • Another suggestion, have students write letters and leave on the desk until taken to the family.

Personal Items of the Student

  • Regardless of the cause of death anything that belonged to the student should be sent home.
  • Teachers should include all graded and ungraded homework assignments.
  • The principal or counselor should empty the desk or locker.
  • Any pictures taken at school should be given to the family. In fact, ordering extra copies for student friends of the deceased is also a good idea.

Additional Tips

  • Only state the necessary facts.
  • Never provide more information than necessary.
  • Stress only the information you have received to date.
  • Only give factual information. Never repeat rumors or assumptions.
  • Do not give your opinions on the situation.
  • Be patient.
  • Be a good listener.
  • If the media approaches you, refer them to the district office.

Room set up

Prior to talking with students

  • Have the chairs arranged in a semi-circle prior to students entering the classroom if possible.
  • If the announcement has to be made during class, have students rearrange the chairs first.
  • The teacher should sit within the circle and maintain eye contact with students.
  • Tissue should be readily available and visible.
  • Center yourself first by assuming a nurturing adult role. Read the announcement in a soft and calm voice.

Examples of Handouts from

SchoolCrisis Situations

Sample Schedule

  • Students will report to their regularly scheduled first class.
  • At 7:55, an announcement will be made prompting all teachers to read our statement to the students.
  • At approximately 8:05 we will conduct an extended moment of silence in memory of Halley and will follow this with the Pledge of Allegiance.
  • The statement will be read once only and should not be read during each class.

Counseling Suggestions

  • Do not provide any more information than is necessary. We should also refrain from repeating second-hand information. In other words, stress only the information that you are receiving today.
  • Refrain from making any judgment calls on this event. Do not comment on the importance of not being out late or going against parents’ wishes, etc.
  • If approached by the media for a statement, please refer them to the district office.
  • If students ask if ------was “burned alive”, our back-up information can be that, according to one of the State Troopers due to the severity of the crash, she was most likely killed on the impact and did not suffer. Know your facts.
  • Be disciplined, patient, and consistent with your responses as you may receive the same types of questions several times throughout the day.

Sample Statement to use with students

Students, this weekend, ------, an eighth grade student at our school, was killed in a single-vehicle accident. While details of the accident are unclear at this time, our first concern should be for her family and friends.------has a younger sister who is a sixth grade student at our school and an older brother and sister, former students who are now in high school. Let’s all keep ------’s family in our thoughts and prayers. If you feel you need to talk with someone about this, counselors are available in the media center.

Sample School Summary

Statement: In March, 3rd grade student at ______School was killed in an automobile accident.

Following are positive procedures that were helpful during the crisis:

  • Telephone Tree – With the exception of one or two teachers, everyone was aware of the crisis before they reached school.
  • Team members met early to prepare the written statement for the students.
  • Faculty Meeting – We met prior to school opening and discussed plans.
  • Members of the team delivered the statement in the classrooms that were most impacted.
  • All students were given time to ventilate and express feelings.
  • The guidance counselor remained with the deceased student’s homeroom throughout the morning, directing the classroom activities.
  • Counselors from other schools in the district assisted by holding small group sessions with students needing extra help in dealing with the crisis.
  • Mid morning juice and cookies were brought to the affected classroom(s).
  • Schedules in the affected classrooms remained flexible for the rest of the day.
  • A letter was prepared and sent to parents. Suggestion for helping their children deal with the loss was printed on the back.Additional resource packets were sent to parents of children who were directly affected by the tragedy.
  • A debriefing was held with the faculty at the end of the day to allow them to ventilate their feelings.
  • Individual and groups of teachers visited the family in the next few days, and a meal was prepared by faculty members for the family.
  • The counselor continued to meet with individuals and small groups of students who were still having trouble working through the loss.
  • The principal contacted the bereaved family by phone to express our sympathy. Later in the morning the principal and guidance counselor visited in the home and carried cards from students.

Sample Announcements

The teacher will read with is in italics.

Sample announcement:

Students, I have some very sad, and unfortunately, bad, news to share with you. On the way to school this morning a traffic accident occurred. John Smith, and eight grade student in Mrs. Thompson’s class was killed. At this time we have no other information. Mr. Jones, our principal, is in contact with the family and will notify us of any arrangements regarding the wake and funeral. Our tragic event response team will be available throughout the day to talk with any students who feel a need. We have a letter for you to take home to your parents and a permission slip they must sign if you would like to attend the funeral.

Sample announcement:

Students, an unfortunate tragedy occurred to one of our students, John Smith. He took his own life on October 12. It is very sad that this had occurred, because suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Mr. Jones, our principal, is in contact with the family and will notify you of any arrangements regarding the wake and funeral. Our tragic event response team will be available throughout the day to talk with any students who feel a need.

Sample announcement:

Students, a terrible tragedy occurred to seven of our students. John Smith, Jim Jones, Allen Brown, Roy Davis, Bob Wright, Bill Mullins, and Dan Allen were driving last night on Rt. 47 when their car skidded off the road in the rain. All the students were killed instantly. They did not suffer. They were all seniors at the high school.

Remain silent for a few moments to allow time for the information to sink in.

This is a great shock for all of us. We have planned some activities to help us experience our feelings and release them as a group.

Sample announcement:

Our school has suffered a great loss. Mrs. Scott, one of our fourth grade teachers, died of a stroke last night. Since she died quietly in her sleep, her death was peaceful. Our principal is in contact with the family and will notify us of any arrangements regarding the wake and funeral. In addition our tragic event response team will be available throughout the day to talk with any students who feel a need. For now, let’s take a few moments to share our favorite memories of Mrs. Scott. How many of you were her students?

Facilitating Group Cohesion

  • Cohesion can be encouraged within the classroom as well as in a quiet room.
  • Group cohesion involves a sense of belonging and being valued.
  • Group cohesion can be nurtured in a number of ways. Allow a few moments of silence to occur before asking the student if they have any questions.
  • The teacher should indicate to the class that he/she is open to questions or concerns at any time regarding the tragedy.
  • Answer all questions honestly and gently. Avoid giving advice. Validate student’s feelings and assure them that what they are feeling is normal when a loss occurs. Allow the discussion to continue until students’ questions are clarified.
  • Be natural. If you tear up, allow the tears to fall and regain you composure. By showing your honest emotions, you model for the student healthy responses of expressing feelings.
  • The teacher should emphasize several group rules for sharing:
  • Confidentiality
  • Respect for all feelings shared
  • Permission not to share until ready to do so
  • Permission to cry
  • Permission to leave the classroom to go to the quiet room.
  • The teacher’s modeling of respect for feelings is critical.
  • Ask for volunteers to go first in sharing their feelings.
  • Each student should be thanked for sharing.
  • The teacher should reinforce their understanding of the universality of grief responses with the present loss or previous losses.
  • Students should be allowed to help students. Active participation by students helps to reduce their sense of helplessness or lack of control.
  • Any student who becomes extremely upset should be escorted to the quiet room where more individualized attention can be provided. Reduce any embarrassment by suggesting quietly to the student that your tragic event team member will escort him/her.
  • As information is available regarding memorial services, wakes or funerals, students will be allowed to participate as appropriate with parental consent, and with consent of the bereaved family.

Preventing Emotional Contagion

  • Identify those students you expect to be most affected by the announcement and make the announcement to them in small groups.
  • Adolescents and pre-adolescents are easily triggered to have a similar emotional response even if they are less affected by the loss. Therefore, removing those students you anticipate will have a strong reaction will reduce the potential for loss of emotional control within the building.
  • Your goal is not to repress expression of emotions. Rather it is to contain it within appropriate helping levels.
  • If at all possible children should remain in their classrooms with their regular classroom teacher.
  • If a student needs to leave the classroom to go to a quiet room, they should not be allowed to roam the halls alone. A team member or volunteer should escort the student.

Guidelines for Managing the Quiet Room

  • The quiet room should be located in a private space.
  • At least two people per 6 students should be available at all times.
  • Once individual contact has been made and the student calmed, allow the student to join a small group.
  • Small group activities in the quiet roomare handled like those withinthe classroom.
  • For a more in depth discussion of grief recovery support groups, refer to the Support Group Facilitator’s Skills Guide published by Dr. Judy Oaks Davison.
  • Within the quiet room, tissue should be readily available.
  • Chairs should be placed in small group, arranged in a circle.
  • Orange juice and fruit can be served.Sometimes just the act of eating is enough distraction for the student to calm down.
  • If a child cannot be calmed down, contact the parents. A child should not be sent home unless accompanied by a close relative, preferably parent.

Criteria for Sending Students to Quiet Room

When any of the following are present, send the student to the quiet room.

  • Student’s emotional distress is not decreasing.
  • Student is unable to participate in large group activities.
  • Other students are beginning to feed on distraught student’s response.
  • Student requests permission to go to the room.

Defusing the Event

  • Defusing should occur at the end of every day.
  • When you have made the announcements, conducted the art activity, held a discussion, or answered students’ questions, you have defused the event.
  • Defusing permits ventilation of thoughts and feelings immediately following an event.
  • It is best to implement the defusing process immediately rather than send students and staff home without an opportunity to process.
  • Depending upon the severity of the event, opportunities to diffuse may need to occur over a period of days. Staff should have a separate time to diffuse so that they can be responsible for assisting the students. The defusing process is important for all staff and students.

Debriefing the Events