Crisis Response Manual

Communicating with Students Close to the Event • Consider using the following approaches as necessary (more information found in PREPaRE workshop 2) o Group based crisis intervention

o Classroom based crisis intervention o Individual based crisis intervention o Referrals to outside agencies

Answering Students’ Questions • Provide only verified facts

o Don’t minimize or ignore the truth o Use developmentally appropriate language o Expect to repeat facts o Do not give unnecessary details o Avoid sensationalizing or speculating o Do not confirm death by suicide. Use language of “unexpected death of a student” • Allow student to ask questions o Dispel rumors o Let the students’ questions guide the sharing of information o Tell them that you will give three responses: § “These are the facts” § “I don’t know” § “Talk with your parents” o Reassure students about what is being done to keep them safe o Remind students of procedures in case a student needs more support

Resources Brock, S. E., Nickerson, A. B., Reeves, M. A., Jimerson, S. R., Lieberman, R. A., & Feinberg, T. A. (2009). School crisis prevention and intervention: The PREPaRE model . Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

Hospice. (n.d.). Talking to children about death . Retrieved from http://www.hospicenet.org/html/talking.html

Copyright 2011 by the National Association of School Psychologists, Bethesda, MD. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. www.nasponline.org