Crisis Response and Recovery

OSS has resources available to assist Wisconsin schools during all phases of crisis response and recovery.  While there is no one-sized solution to all crisis intervention, OSS can help guide your school’s or district’s crisis team through trauma informed steps from preparing in advance of a crisis, responding during the initial crisis, to implementing interventions that lead to successful recovery after a crisis.  OSS will work with the impacted school’s leadership team to learn the needs of the educational community and respond with the right level of support with a goal of returning students to a physically and emotionally safe learning environment as quickly as possible.   

 The Office of School Safety has 12 trained regional Critical Incident Response Teams throughout Wisconsin.  These teams are prepared and can be deployed when requested to provide assistance to any school experiencing a crisis.

 

If your school has been impacted by a crisis and there is a need for additional resources within your school community, you can contact us in two ways: 

Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans - A comprehensive guide to developing and implementing an effective School Emergency Operations Plan. 

Safe & Supportive Schools | U.S. Department of Education - The US Department of Education's Safe and Supportive Schools (OSSS) offers resources and guidance in a variety of areas related to emotional and physical safety of students in educational environments.   

Wisconsin Safe & Healthy Schools | Every child safe, healthy and connected - Collaboration between DPI and the CESA Statewide Network to provide resources and training to educators to positively affect the emotional wellbeing of all students.   

Home ♥ The "I Love U Guys" Foundation - "Crisis isn't a choice, response is" The I love U Guys Foundation provides resources and training in crisis response, including the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and Standard Reunification Method (SRM).

PREPaRE Training Curriculum - A training curriculum specially designed for educators by the National Association of School Psychologists to develop and improve crisis prevention, response and intervention plans.  

ICS Resource Center - FEMA Incident Command System Resource Center.  Trainings to introduce and/or expand your organizations knowledge and implementation of an Incident Command System response to crisis. 

Psychological First Aid for Schools (PFA-S) Field Operations Guide | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network - NCTSN resource that provides guidance and resources for all educators to provide Psychological First Aid to those who have experienced trauma.   

NEA School Crisis Guide 2018 - National Education Association's guide for planning to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from school crises.

To skip to a specific crisis response topic, please use the links below.

School Crisis Response   |   Death of a staff member or student   |   Suicide of a staff member or student

School or community violence   |   Sexual assault   |   Additional resources

 

  School Crisis Response

Recovery From Large-Scale Crises: Guidelines for Crisis Teams and Administrators - Resource from NASP that guides administrators and school crisis teams through the steps beginning with immediate response to a crisis through recovery. 

Return to School After a Crisis - The National Center for School Safety guides crisis teams and administrators through preparing educators to meet various student needs after a traumatic incident and plan for the return to school after a crisis.  

Supporting Schools During and After Crisis - This guide uses a multi-tiered systems of support to guide school leadership teams through various steps and considerations to meet the needs of the school community throughout crisis recovery. 

 

 Death of a staff member or student 

Guidelines for Death of Student or Staff - The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement provides guidance to educators and crisis teams responding to the death of a student or staff member. 

Addressing Grief: Tips for Teachers and Administrators - A resource provided by NASP to guide educators in supporting students after the death of a friend, family member or other loved one. 

Considerations for Memorials - Handout from NASP's PREPaRE 2 curriculum that offers best practice guidance when considering memorials after the death of a student or staff member. 

Preparing for Anniversaries - A Guide for Educators - NASP offers guidance to prepare for dates of remembrance of traumatic incidents or tragedies.  

Guiding Adults in Talking to Children  About Death and Attending Services - NCTSN provides information about common grief reactions in school age children and provides guidance on supporting children before and after attending memorial services. 

Supporting Students After a Death - Tips for Teachers & School Personnel - The Dougy Center provides information about grief in children and supporting students after they have experienced the death of a loved one.

 

  Suicide of a staff member or student 

After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools 2nd Edition - The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) provide tools and guidance to aid in comprehensive postvention planning and responding after a death by suicide in school community. 

Talking About Suicide with Friends and Peers | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network - NCTSN provides tips to teens providing information and guidance about what to do when they have concerns about a peer. 

Preventing Youth Suicide: Tips for Parents & Educators - A NASP resource for parents and educators providing information about risk factors and warning signs and offering guidance about how to intervene and where to report when they have concerns a youth may be considering suicide.   

Coping after suicide loss - The American Psychological Association (APA) provides tips for adults and youth who are grieving after a death by suicide.