Design a crisis intervention plan that addresses the needs of the students,parents,staff, and school board
Scenario: An intruder comes into the middle school ,searches the building and kidnaps a student in front of the staff and student body. The student was found the same day unharmed.
Group to address: Faculty
Ex: What would you direct the school faculty to be doing during this scenario? What protocols would you have them take? What supports should they have available to them? What should they be doing for their students? Stuff like that.
As social workers for this project it’s us coming up with the plan. how do we work with each group specifically (faculty, students, school board etc.) and the interventions we use are different parts of the big overall plan.
Children
To some extent, crises have always interrupted the routines of school life, but threats to children’s safety and well-being have become increasingly common. The purpose of having a crisis plan with children is to insure traumatic events are not ignored. School crises should be managed so effectively that school operations quickly return to normal and students’ psychological needs are addressed. Children should be assisted in dealing with emotional responses associated with kidnapping. Support and counseling should be provided to minimize the effects or the traumatic event like kidnapping within the school. Effective crisis interventions for students from diverse backgrounds should be established. Meeting the needs of students in crisis requires sensitivity and skill when planning and adapting services.
Students who feel unable to maintain their regular school schedule should be permitted to seek counseling or support services in a less structured setting, such as a support room or guidance counselor’s office. Offer children who are not in need of mental health services interventions, perhaps in a group setting if appropriate. Some crisis situations may close school for periods of time. However, whenever possible, it is best to avoid school closings and early dismissals, particularly during the crisis. Students find comfort in the school day routine and in the company of their peers and adults. Temporary removal from school can sometimes increase a student’s fears about returning to school and may cause school avoidance behaviors. In the aftermath of a crisis, if student safety is a concern at the school’s location, it may be necessary to reconvene school in an alternate location.
Students should also put together a presentation to provide information, minimize unwanted responses, normalize grief and trauma reactions, and suggest or be suggested appropriate behavior. Students should be able to normalize their reactions by telling what they thought and felt when they first heard about the kidnapping or what they are feeling and thinking now. Teachers can explain that these are normal reactions and if they are bothersome, it will help them to talk to someone about what they are thinking and feeling. During the presentation, students can identify appropriate behaviors as well. Students can express what kind of things they did in the past to help them feel better and what they have seen other people do to help themself. Students should be insured that if they hear anything different from what was spoken about, they should let the teacher or a school staff member know so it can be checked out. Students should also be informed of building resources that are available and told that they will be informed of new information.
Parents
An important group that a social worker should focus on within the crisis intervention plan is the parents of the student. Parents should be informed about the incident as soon as it occurs, via phone calls to the home, emails, and a notice sent home. Parents should be reassured that the incident will be investigated and that the security within the school will be increased. Social workers should also be available to answer any questions or concerns that the parents of the children may have. A social worker should host a meeting/training for parents where they can speak freely about the kidnapping and voice their opinions and suggestions. This will also provide and environment where their will be education to the parents to prevent a crisis such as this from happening again.
At the training for the parents, social workers and faculty should be present. Staff should urge parents to encourage their children to speak freely about the incident and their feelings and reactions following the kidnapping in the school. Parents should also be advised to monitor their children for emotional distress such as anxiety or depression. Chances are this situation can cause a lot of fear in the children, not just the one student who was directly affected so it is important to make sure that every child is monitored appropriately. Parents should be given referral information to an outside counselor who specializes in trauma in the event the child requires more outside treatment. Information regarding family counseling and handing traumatic events should be provided as well. The parents should be educated about how to have conversations with their child about the crisis that occurred, so both the students and the parents can be prepared in the event a similar situation occurs.
Parent should be encouraged to have a conversation with their children regarding safety. Children should be educated about what to do in a situation where they are approached by a stranger and steps they can take to seek help from a trusted adult whether it be in school or outside of school. Social workers can work with parents to help them create a safety plan unique to their child with important emergency contacts, and ways to respond to strangers in the event they are approached by a potential kidnapper. Parents should be educated on speaking to their children about strangers and who and who is not okay to give personal information to such as their phone number, their address, or their school.
Living in the era that we do, children are constantly on the internet and have access to social media and speaking with strangers. At any time, a child could be speaking with a complete stranger without the knowledge of the parents. Parents should be encouraged to speak with their children about internet safety and the dangers of the internet. Parents should also be encouraged to monitor the websites their children are going on and teaching them about the importance of keeping their personal information confidential the internet and social media websites.