Northern Middle

School

Crisis  Response

Plan

2007 - 2008

 

Rationale:

          Thousands of school age children die each year.  In addition, thousands more experience the expected or unexpected death of a parent, grandparent, sibling, friend, or teacher.  One of every seven children loses a parent to death before the age of ten.  Now more than ever, schools function as substitute parents.  Classrooms for many children become a secondary family.    It is important that schools are equipped to deal with a tragedy that effects the school environment. 

Purpose: 

          The purpose of this crisis response plan is to equip staff members with a practical plan designed to maintain a safe educational environment in the midst of a tragic event and to provide appropriate ways of handling difficult situations.

Goals:

·       To help alleviate the negative consequences that can occur with a crisis for students and staff of Northern Middle School.

·       Implement prevention and education efforts

·       Acknowledge the death accurately and honestly to all students

·       Accurately inform all staff members of the crisis event and respond with a set procedure for events that may occur

·       Allow students to express their feelings

·       To help maintain a safe educational environment in response to a crisis event

·       To help students and staff understand the grief process and the extended period of time it affords

Definition of a Crisis Situation:

          A crisis situation is a time of great difficulty caused by a tragic occurrence to a member of the school family such as:

                   * suicide of a student

                   * suicide of a staff member

                   * tragic death of a student

                   * tragic death of a staff member

                   * tragic death of a former student

                   * tragic death of a parent, sibling  or other family member

                   * ripple effect from an adjacent tragedy

                   * death of an administrator or significant leader

                   * death of a child or spouse of a staff member

Forming the Crisis Team:

          Staff members should serve on the crisis team.  The principal will serve as the leader of the crisis team since he/she is the leader in the building in the eyes of students, staff, parents, and the community. The remaining committee members may consist of teachers, counselors, administrators, secretaries, custodians, etc. Students need and want to see familiar faces when a tragedy hits the school family. A sound crisis response team is one that gives students and staff an opportunity to talk through their grief and express their feelings.  

                   Criteria for crisis team members:

                   *  Someone who is comfortable to work

                    with

*  Someone who is well liked, respected, and trusted by the students

  * Someone who demonstrates compassion for their students

*  Someone who is willing to work after hours and on weekends if necessary when an emergency happens

Roles and Responsibilities of Individual Members of the Crisis Team:

          Principal

          Family Liaison Person

          Roamers

          Counselors

          Teachers

          Media Liaison

Procedural Information for the Crisis Team:

I.  Faculty and Staff

A.  Developing the Notification Chain

                   1.  How will the information be passed along to all faculty members?  The school phone chain will be implemented in the event of a crisis situation.  Teachers will be asked to meet early in the library for a briefing from the Principal and the crises team.

          2.  Who will gather the facts?  The principal, family liaison person, and/or counselor will contact the family to obtain factual information and permission to share the information with the students and staff of Northern Middle School.

          B.  Roles of faculty and staff

                   1. Who is responsible for what? Each crisis response team members and teachers will have a list of roles and/or responsibilities.  

          2.  Who substitutes for faculty/staff absence or unavailability? If a member of the crisis response team is unavailable, the Principal will appoint another member of the team to resume the role of the missing person.  In the event a teacher is absent, the team should decide whether to absorb the students or find a substitute. 

          C.  Secretaries/Receptionists

                   1.  How are secretaries/receptionists informed and prepared to handle incoming calls regarding the crisis?  Each person will be given a statement to read regarding the event.  Only this information may be released to inquirers.

          D.  Emergency Response Team

        1.  Who will serve?  The Principal, Assistant Principal, Counselors, Librarian, Youth Service Center Director, YSC assistant, School Nurse, one member from each team, and other staff or community agencies as designated by the principal or the crises response team.

                   2.   Where will the team set up?  The crisis response team will initially meet in the conference room. Crisis rooms will be set up in the d-hall room, library, upstairs teacher lounge, nurses station, YSC, and guidance office.

                  3.  Which community agencies or people will be contacted?  The crisis team may choose to contact school psychologists, clergy, funeral directors, social workers, etc. The Principal or the team will decide who to contact and the procedure.

          E.  Spokesperson

                   1.  Who will respond to the media?  The designated Media Liaison will respond.

                   2.  Where will the meetings take place?  This is to be determined by the Media Liaison.  (suggested area:  conference room, gym, outside the building, etc.)

          F.  Information to the students

                   1.  How will the students learn of the crisis facts?  The teachers will be given a statement to be read to their classes briefly explaining the facts related to the event.

                   2.  Who will prepare the statement?  The crises team or designated member will prepare a statement after the family has been contacted.

II.  Concerns Related to the Students

                   A. Information

                             1. How will students be informed? Each teacher will read the prepared statement regarding the crisis event.

B.  Crisis Centers

                             2.  How will students get to the crises centers?  Each teacher should provide a pass for a student who needs to come to a crises center.  Roamers will be in the halls to help escort students to and from the appropriate locations.

III.  Concerns Related to the Community

                   A.  Parents

                             1.  How will parents be notified of the crisis?  The crisis team or designated member will prepare a letter informing parents of the situation.  This will be sent home by the students.

                           2.  Who can parents contact with questions or concerns?  The Family Liaison.

B.  Media

                             1.  What information can/can not be released?  Only factual information directly from the family and with their permission may be  released.  Information concerning the crisis response team or school procedures may be released at the discretion of the media liaison.

                           2.  What access will the media have to the students, staff, and school grounds?  To be determined by the crisis team.

IV.  Other Concerns

          A.  Does every member of the school community have access to or own a copy of the crisis procedure?

          B.  Does the policy include a roster of names and assigned roles? Yes

          C.  How often will the plan be reviewed and updated?  Annually

Community Resources

1.  School Psychologists

          Central Office: 679-1123

          Wanda Johnson

          Dusty Phelps

          Others as needed

2.  Social Worker

          Lori Hall - Central Office:  679-1123

3.  Funeral Directors

          Bruce Phelps - Pulaski Funeral Home: 678-4166

          Richard New–Lake Cumberland Funeral Home: 676-0071

4.  Clergy

          To be determined

5.  Others

          State Crisis Team - 1-888-522-7228

Local District School Counselors (feeder schools of Shopville        - Carter, Woodstock - Phillips, Pulaski Elem.- Braun, Eubank- Muse)

                  
A Step by Step Look at the Response Procedure

1.  A crisis occurs.  (Examples as listed on page 2)

2.  The phone chain is enacted with information and instructions to follow as to when and where the response team will assemble and when and where the faculty will meet.  The Crises Response Team Leader, the Principal, will determine this information.  Please notify everyone in the chain.  If you can not contact the next person, please contact the following person without hesitation so the chain flows fluently.  Then, continue to try to contact the original person in the chain.

3.  The family liaison, YSC director and assistant, will contact the family or direct sources to obtain factual information and permission to share the information.

4.  The crisis team or designee will contact additional crisis team members from the community or other agencies as deemed appropriate by the Principal or the crisis team.

5.  Once factual information and permission to share has been obtained, the crisis team or designee will prepare a statement after consultation with the family liaison and the Principal.  The statement will be given to each teacher to share with all students at a designated time.  This same statement will be used by all secretaries/receptionists when handling phone contacts.  This insures that all students, staff, and inquiries receive the same accurate information.

6.  The media liaison(s), Principal and Asst. Principal, will be the only staff members to respond to the media.  Suggested areas are the conference room, the school gym, or outside the school building.  Location will be determined by the media liaison.

7.  Crisis centers will be set up throughout the building as follows.

          Julie Dick - Library

Deborah Wiles - Guidance Office

          Kathy Sampson - YSC Office

          Karen Branscum - Nurses Station

          Mr. Phil Scott – LAB or Conference Room

          In School Suspension Teacher - Upstairs Teacher Lounge

Any student who needs immediate assistance may be sent to any of the above crisis centers only with a hall pass.  Roamers will be available to escort students.  No student should be unattended during a crisis situation.  These centers will also be available for any staff member who needs assistance.

8.  A letter will be prepared by the crisis team or designee, that will be sent home by the students to notify parents of the situation.  Parents may contact the family liaison, YSC director with questions or concerns.

9.  Each staff member is responsible for knowing their duty roles and responsibilities.  The duty roster is attached along with descriptions of roles and responsibilities.

10.  If a faculty or staff member is absent during a crisis response situation, the team will decide whether to absorb the students or secure a substitute. The team leader will consult with the principal to determine if the team will absorb the students or secure a substitute. 

11.  If a member of the response team is absent or unavailable, the principal will appoint another member of the team to resume the role of the missing person.

Each staff member will have an individual copy of the response plan.  There will also be a master copy in the front office, guidance office, and library.

The response plan will be reviewed, evaluated, and updated at least annually.

Crisis Response Team Members and Roster of Duties

Crisis Team Leader – The Principal

Family Liaison – Youth Service Center Director and Asst.

Media Liaison – The Principal and Assistant Principal

Crisis Centers – Debbie Wiles - Guidance Office

                               Julie Dick - Library

                               Kathy Sampson - Youth Service Center

                               Phil Scott – LAB or Conference Room

  Karen Branscum - Nurse’s station

  In School Suspension Teacher – Upstairs

  Teacher Lounge

Team Representatives -

          Navigator –Ms. Brock 270-250-5438

          Super Novas – Mr. Bullock -451-5719

          Dragons – Ms. Phelps – 219-7921

          Bravehearts – Ms. Butcher –

                606-706-0587

          Wizards – Ms. D Collins – 875-4473

          Excaliburs – Ms. Richardson – 219-2509

          Eagles –Ms. White 348-0277

          Musketeers – Ms. Braun – 875-3415

Roamers –Molly Johnson - Blue hall  

                   Peggy Hamilton - Green hall

                   Emma Smith  - Yellow hall

                    Karen Morris - Red hall

                   Tonia Lovins – Red hall     

                    Rita Morris – Yellow hall

                    Cheryl Harney

                    Lynn Todd

                    Abel Logan

                    Carolyn Baird

                   Teresa Yancey

                    Andrea Seward

                    Rita Godbey

 (All other staff as available - all halls)