School Crisis Response Plan

Transcription

1 Appendix B School Crisis Response Plan The School Crisis Response Plan is the third component of the RY program, along with the RY curriculum and social activities and school bonding. Many high-risk youth experience depression and may have or develop suicidal tendencies. To support these youth, a school needs to be prepared to identify a youth in crisis and intervene during a suicidal crisis. To support the school community, a school also needs to be able to respond with a post-suicide intervention if a student or another member of the school community commits suicide. The RY School Crisis Response Plan prepares school staff members to identify and respond to a student who is suicidal or to respond if a student or staff member dies by suicide. This appendix provides the following materials: School Crisis Response Plan Checklists GS-158 Preliminary Preparation GS-158 Implementing a Crisis Plan Preventing Suicide Implementation of Plan GS-160 Responding to a Suicide or an Accidental Death Post-Crisis/Suicide Interventions GS-162 School Crisis Response Plan Support Material GS-163 Preparation Sample Faculty Education Sessions GS-163 General Guidelines for Teachers GS-165 Intervention How to Identify and Help Suicidal Youth GS-167 How to Intervene With a Suicidal Youth GS-169 SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN Post-Suicide Intervention Sample Empty Chair Session GS-171 Sample Announcement to Faculty GS-178 Sample Announcement to Students GS-179 Sample Announcement to the Media GS-179 Sample Record-Keeping Worksheet GS-180 National Educational Service GS 157

2 RECONNECTING YOUTH Preliminary Preparation P CT C/N T KEY Principal Crisis Team Counselor/Nurse Teacher Implementing a Crisis Plan ACTION RESPONSIBILITY Annually P CT C/N T 1. Review and update Crisis Response Plan. * * * * 2. Review district procedure for responding to a suicide threat or attempt. * * 3. Update relevant checklists to be consistent with current procedure. * 4. Update the school s Crisis Response Plan telephone tree. * 5. Review role assignments and revise as needed. * 6. Update handouts that may be used. * 7. Update Community Referral Resource List. * 8. Conduct drills to ensure everyone understands the rules. * 9. Distribute updated copies of the Crisis Response Plan to designated areas. * 10. Provide a suicide prevention and crisis response in-service for faculty * (see Sample Faculty Education Sessions on page GS-163). Each Semester 1. Update school list of high-risk students. * 2. Identify students who exhibit depressed or emotionally uncontrolled * * behavior. 3. Determine who knows students best and the appropriate actions to take * * in a crisis, including parent notification. *The asterisks indicate who is responsible for each task item. When there is only one asterisk in the columns for an item, it identifies the individual who has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring the task is done. When there are two or more asterisks in the columns for an item, they indicate that those individuals will likely need to collaborate to complete the task, but none of these individuals will have sole responsibility for the task. (continued) GS 158

3 Getting Started Preliminary Preparation (continued) P CT C/N T KEY Principal Crisis Team Counselor/Nurse Teacher Preventing Suicide ACTION RESPONSIBILITY Ongoing Assessment, Reporting of Suicide Threats or Attempts P CT C/N T 1. Report to principal, counselor, or nurse any written or verbal suicidal threat. * * * 2. Assess the current level of suicide risk (see General Guidelines for * Classroom Teachers, How to Identify and Help Suicidal Youth, and How to Intervene With a Suicidal Youth on pages GS-165 through GS-170). 3. If concerned for students imminent safety, then: Notify parents and suggest resources for immediate follow-up. * Provide support and maintain communication with student. * Instill sense of hope. * * Contact Emergency Services (dial 911) or a mental health * professional for advice or response if needed. 4. If not concerned for students imminent safety, then: Obtain no-harm promise from the student and express caring. * (The value of this promise depends on the relationship you have with the student.) Negotiate to involve family for support of no-harm promise. * Help extend sources of support. * Provide support. * Instill sense of hope. * Provide follow-up to monitor no-harm promise and provide * counseling services as needed (See How to Identify and Help Suicidal Youth and How to Intervene With a Suicidal Youth on pages GS-167 through GS-170). SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN National Educational Service GS 159

4 RECONNECTING YOUTH Implementation of Plan P CT C/N T KEY Principal Crisis Team Counselor/Nurse Teacher Responding to a Suicide or an Accidental Death ACTION RESPONSIBILITY 1. Gather information about the crisis and decide which steps to take. * 2. Convene Crisis Response Team to: * Review facts. * * Develop action plan. * * Develop a fact sheet for dissemination. * * Secure outside resources as needed (substitutes, other district * * support, community support). 3. Contact deceased person s family to: * Offer condolences. * Inform about the school s Crisis Response Plan. * Review information to be released. * Ensure they have the resources they need. * 4. Put the school s Crisis Response Plan telephone tree in motion. * 5. Set up a command station for giving and receiving information. * 6. Be prepared to respond to media (see Sample Announcement to the * Media on page GS-179). 7. Conduct an emergency staff meeting to share information, review * procedures, and clarify roles. 8. Distribute information to students, faculty, parents, and others (see sample * announcements to faculty and students on pages GS-178 and GS-179). P CT C/N T 9. Attend emergency staff meeting. * * * * 10. Ensure that all staff who do not attend emergency meeting receive * factual information. 11. Provide response scripts to office staff who frequently receive incoming * calls and inquiries. 12. Inform office manager to: * Notify office aides of the emergency situation and review emergency procedures with them. Meet with any secretaries who were not at the staff meeting to inform them of the situation. (continued) GS 160

5 Getting Started Implementation of Plan (continued) P CT C/N T KEY Principal Crisis Team Counselor/Nurse Teacher ACTION RESPONSIBILITY P CT C/N T 13. Inform head custodian to notify all custodians: * Of the emergency situation. To check all restrooms twice each period. 14. Inform food service manager to notify food service personnel. * 15. Advise PTSA officers to inform as many parents as possible, to schedule * a parents meeting in the near future, or to do both activities. 16. Review current list of high-risk students: * * Monitor their attendance each period. * * Ensure each student is contacted by an assigned staff member. * * Ensure parents are contacted as needed. * * Keep the command station informed of all actions and progress. * * Keep notes on contacts with these students and any actions taken * * (see Sample Record-Keeping Worksheet on page GS-180). 17. Identify students who were close friends of the deceased person and are * * likely to be affected: Meet with close friends individually or in a group. * * Contact parents of friends as needed. * * Keep notes of concerns about and contacts with these students * * (see Sample Record-Keeping Worksheet on page GS-180). Inform the command station of all actions and progress. * * 18. Meet with student leaders to review their roles. * 19. Be available to other students who are experiencing difficulty. Meet with * * them individually or in small groups. 20. Ensure all staff have updated referral resources. * 21. Notify parents when a referral is needed to a counseling professional in * the community. 22. If appropriate, meet with students who are attending the funeral to * prepare them for the experience. 23. Help students share the emotions they may feel and also understand that * * * * a wide range of emotions may be appropriate in different settings. 24. Identify students who are having a difficult time coping and have them * accompanied to a counseling center. 25. Gather in the faculty room to support each other throughout the day. * * * * 26. Attend funeral, if possible. * * * * SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN National Educational Service GS 161

6 RECONNECTING YOUTH Post-Crisis/Suicide Interventions P CT C/N T KEY Principal Crisis Team Counselor/Nurse Teacher ACTION RESPONSIBILITY P CT C/N T 1. Review interventions taken and plan post-intervention activities: * * Debrief crisis event. Plan follow-up activities. Report on and discuss the intervention at a faculty meeting to debrief event. 2. Facilitate 1-, 3-, and 6-week follow-ups: * * * Remain alert to students who exhibit depressed behavior. * Meet with close friends of the deceased. * Meet with all students who have been identified as seriously * affected by the death. Meet with parents of the deceased and the group of parents * who have been affected by the death. GS 162

7 Getting Started Sample Faculty Education Sessions These sessions will (1) familiarize high school faculty and staff with information on youth suicide so that they have a better understanding of suicidal behavior and (2) prepare participants to respond to a suicidal crisis or an actual suicide of someone in the school community. The sessions are presented in a lecture and discussion format using overhead visuals and handouts. Session 1: Suicidal Youth and Youth Suicide 1. Introduce the presenter and topic. 2. Desensitize audience to the topic of suicide. 3. Discuss common myths about youth suicide. 4. Describe the general characteristics of suicidal youth. 5. Describe the early warning signs of suicidal risk. 6. Discuss the need to assess suicidal risk. Explain that one must ask directly about intent (for example, Are you thinking about hurting yourself or killing yourself? ). Introduce the SLAP and DIRT models for assessing risk: SLAP: The items in this acronym help assess current threat. The greater these factors, the greater the risk: S = Specificity of plan L = Lethality of plan A = Availability of proposed method P = Proximity of helping resources is remote DIRT: The items in this acronym help assess current threat based on prior threats or attempts. The greater these factors, the greater the risk: D = Danger of prior attempt was lethal. SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN I = Impression of youth that danger was high. R = Rescue was remote. T = Timing was recent. 7. Provide general intervention and referral strategies. 8. Provide a question-and-answer opportunity. National Educational Service GS 163

8 RECONNECTING YOUTH Session 2: School Crisis Response Plan 1. Introduce the presenter and topic. 2. Introduce and describe the school s Crisis Response Plan. 3. Provide a question-and-answer opportunity. RECOMMENDED READINGS AND RESOURCES American Association of Suicidology. (1999). Guidelines for school based suicide prevention programs. American Federation of Suicide Prevention. website. Information on AFSP s Teen Suicide Prevention public Service Campaign Kit, under For the Public. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Suicide in the United States: The problem. Online fact sheet, factsheets/suifacts.htm Eggert, L. L., Karovsky, P. P., & Pike, K. C. (1999). Washington State Youth Suicide Prevention Program, pathways to enhancing community capacity in preventing youth suicidal behaviors. Seattle, WA: University of Washington. Eggert, L. L., & Nicholas, L. J. (2003). CAST: Coping and support training. Seattle: RY Publications. [Indicated Prevention] Institute of Medicine (IOM). (2002). Reducing suicide: A national imperative. S. K. Goldsmith, T. C. Pellmar, A. M. Kleinman, & W. E. Bunney (Eds). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Kalafat, J., Ryerson, D., & Underwood, M. (2000). Lifelines ASAP: A school-based youth suicide response program. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. [Universal Prevention Program] King K. A., & Smith, J. (2000). Project SOAR: A training program to increase school counselors knowledge and confidence regarding suicide prevention and intervention. Journal of School Health, 70(10), [Selective Prevention] National Center for Health Statistics. (2000). Suicide rates per 100,000 living population (all ages), Hyattsville, MD: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Orbach, I., & Bar Joseph, H. (1993). The impact of a suicide prevention program for adolescents on suicidal tendencies, hopelessness, ego identity and coping. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 23(2), [Universal Prevention] Ramsey, R. F., Tanney, B. L., Tierney, R. J., & Lang, W. A. (1994). Suicide intervention handbook. Calgary, AB, Canada: LivingWorks Education Inc. [Selective Prevention Program Gatekeeper Training] Thompson, E. A., Eggert, L. L., Randell, B. P., & Pike, K. C. (2001). Evaluation of indicated suicide-risk prevention approaches for potential high school dropouts. American Journal of Public Health, 91(5), [Evaluation of CAST program] U.S. Public Health Service (2001). National strategy for suicide prevention: Goals and objectives for action Available at: GS 164

9 REPRODUCIBLE General Guidelines for Teachers When someone commits suicide, the emotional impact may seem overwhelming and can be difficult to understand and handle appropriately. You can help your students handle this difficult situation by using the following strategies for understanding suicide, helping students cope, and taking care of yourself. Discussing Suicide In the formal and informal conversations you may have with students and others affected by the suicide, keep the following strategies in mind and apply them as needed: 1. Avoid glamorizing suicide. Avoid making the person who died into a hero. 2. Emphasize that suicide is a choice that the person who died made and that no one else is responsible for that choice. The suicide is no one s fault. It is important for students to be able to talk about any feelings of guilt they may have. Students with strong feelings of guilt should be referred to a trained professional who will help them explore those feelings. 3. A common tendency is to try to identify what caused the suicide, to identify who or what is to blame. Help students avoid blaming themselves, other students, the person s family, or any other person. Do not encourage speculation about why a person committed suicide. Helping Students Cope 1. Present the Sample Empty Chair Session on page GS Following agreed-upon procedures that the school s Crisis Response Team defined and distributed to all staff, acknowledge what happened and keep students accurately informed. Use your judgment to decide how much and what kind of sharing would be appropriate in your classroom. 3. If sharing occurs, stress that it is okay to feel and share a range of emotions. Encourage students to accept and support each other s grief, whether or not it is directly related to the situation under discussion. SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN 4. Encourage students to identify their support systems, both in and out of school, and to use these resources. (See the Skill 2 session in Personal Control, Getting Support to Control Stress, on page PC-77.) 5. Remain alert for signs of students who are having serious difficulty coping with the death. Have someone accompany these students to the counseling center. (See How to Identify and Help Suicidal Youth on page GS-167.) Copyright 2004 by National Educational Service GS 165

10 REPRODUCIBLE 6. Reassure students. After a suicide, students may be afraid of their own or others suicidal tendencies. Stress that if students are worried about themselves or a friend, they should seek help from a trusted adult. Emphasize that suicide is not contagious. Others do not have to make this choice. Taking Care of Yourself 1. Allow yourself to feel the wide range of emotions you may experience as you learn about and come to terms with the death. Seek out or arrange for support for yourself, as needed, before you meet with your classes. Be prepared to share some of your own grief as a way to help others share their grief. 2. Visit the faculty room as needed to receive and give support to other staff members throughout the day. 3. Identify a support person or several support people with whom you can talk, compare notes, and so forth. 4. Review the following support materials to enhance your feelings of competence and confidence: How to Identify and Help Suicidal Youth (page GS-167) How to Intervene With a Suicidal Youth (page GS-169) Sample Empty Chair Session (page GS-171) Sample Announcement to Students (page GS-179) GS 166 Copyright 2004 by National Educational Service

11 REPRODUCIBLE How to Identify and Help Suicidal Youth A suicidal youth is a youth in crisis. The following seven strategies will help you identify suicidal youth, intervene in the crisis, and redirect the youth toward the help he or she needs. 1. Recognize the symptoms of a suicidal youth. a. Threatens suicide (note the specificity and reality of the threat) b. Describes plan or method to kill him- or herself (note the specificity and lethality of the threat) c. Has threatened or attempted suicide in the past d. Shows signs of helplessness and hopelessness e. Shows signs of serious depression, especially one that has lasted 2 or more weeks f. Exhibits unexplained changes in behavior or serious mood changes g. Is currently using drugs, drug use was involved in previous suicide attempt, or both situations exist h. Has experienced an extreme recent loss, disappointment, or serious conflict involving family, friends, school, or a combination of those groups. i. Has the factors that indicate a current threat (SLAP: specificity of plan, lethality of plan, availability of proposed method, and proximity of helping resources is remote) j. Has an increased risk based on prior attempts (DIRT: danger of prior attempt was lethal, impression of youth that danger was high, rescue was remote, and timing was recent) 2. Trust your judgment. a. Act on your beliefs about the suicide risk or danger. b. Do not permit others to lead you to ignore signals. 3. Tell others. SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN a. Share your concern with those who can help. b. Do not let the student talk you into keeping secrets. 4. Stay with a suicidal person. a. Do not leave the youth alone if you believe the danger is immediate. b. Stay with the student until help arrives or the crisis passes. Copyright 2004 by National Educational Service GS 167

12 REPRODUCIBLE 5. Listen intelligently. a. Listen and express empathy. b. Assure the student that there are alternatives. 6. Be supportive and respond positively. a. Express your care for the student in words and actions. b. Help the student feel worthwhile again by expressing positive attributes you have observed in him or her. c. Express an invitation to life and hope to counteract the student s invitations to death. d. Stress that problems are opportunities for seeking alternative solutions and making choices. e. Stress that suicide is not contagious. The student does not have to make this choice. 7. Urge professional help when necessary. a. Pressure the student and his or her family to seek help from a professional. b. Encourage the student and family to continue with this help and therapy even if it becomes a difficult process. GS 168 Copyright 2004 by National Educational Service

13 REPRODUCIBLE How to Intervene With a Suicidal Youth A suicidal crisis usually lasts only a short time. The goals of crisis intervention are to: Get the student through the crisis without harm. Convey a sense of hope. Increase the student s perception of alternatives. Identify and mobilize resources. Empower the student (instead of adding to his or her feelings of helplessness). These goals can be achieved as you work through the following 10 steps. Step 1: Assess the suicidal risk factors. (See SLAP and DIRT acronyms in the Sample Faculty Education Sessions on page GS-163.) The greater the ability to describe plans of suicide, the greater the risk. The greater the incidence of prior suicidal behaviors or attempts, the greater the risk. Step 2: Listen. Really listen to hear what the student is saying. Show empathy for how the student feels. State your understanding of the student s feelings and situation before engaging him or her in problem solving or before offering any advice. Make sure the student knows you know how he or she feels. Step 3: Evaluate the seriousness of the student s feelings. A student can be extremely upset but not suicidal or can be suicidal even though he or she appears to be only mildly upset. Step 4: Take every comment and feeling seriously. SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN Do not discount any of the youth s concerns. Trust your judgment and do not let the student or others lead you to ignore the seriousness of the situation. Step 5: Broaden the student s perspective. Begin to broaden the student s perspective of his or her past and present situation, helping the student see his or her life in more hopeful terms. Copyright 2004 by National Educational Service GS 169

14 REPRODUCIBLE Step 6: Instill a sense of hope. Be positive in your outlook on the future. Communicate this with statements that express the following ideas: I think we can solve this situation. I know things seem pretty hopeless to you right now, but together I think we can find a way out of this situation for you. I don t want you to kill yourself. I want you to live! Step 7: Increase the student s perception of alternatives. Help the student to increase his or her perception of alternatives to suicide. Ask: Do you really want to kill yourself, or do you want something to change? Express hope: Killing yourself is an irreversible solution. There are other solutions to handling this situation and dealing with those things you want to change. Together, I think we can figure something out and find some help for you. Step 8: Act. Act to make concrete plans to resolve the problem. Step 9: Evaluate available resources. Help the student identify and mobilize supportive resources, including friends, family, and mental health professionals. Step 10: Get help. Do not hesitate to get help or take the student to a place where help can be obtained. You can at least say with confidence: I may not be able to help you with this, but I can get you help from someone who can! GS 170 Copyright 2004 by National Educational Service

15 School Crisis Response Plan Sample Empty Chair Session Summary Overview Through the sharing of information and class and small-group discussions, students learn about the situation and have opportunities to share their emotions and feel accepted. Objective 1. Help students cope with the death of a classmate. Preparations 1. Gather information on the student who died (who, what, when, and where) and on any planned memorial service or funeral. 2. Gather information on available resources for students. Be prepared to share names and numbers of those with whom students can talk, including staff members and counselors. Create a one-page sheet of information; make a copy for each student. 3. Consider your own feelings toward the situation and the student who died, and decide what you are willing to share with students. Remember that what you share will model for the students what they might share and how they might share it. 4. Review the process of grief. You may wish to briefly describe an example of how this process has occurred in your own life. If you do so, choose an example that could be relevant to the students but would not overwhelm them. SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN 5. Be prepared to acknowledge the diversity of religious and philosophical belief systems about death, the afterlife, or what makes us mortal. Materials 1. A box of facial tissues, pens and markers in various colors, paper for notes and letters, large envelope for collecting notes and letters National Educational Service GS 171

16 RECONNECTING YOUTH Sample Empty Chair Session Plan DISCUSSION Share Information As you may know, a student in our class, [student name], has died. The death was an apparent suicide. Because we knew [him or her], it s only natural that we ll have some very deep feelings about this death. One of those feelings is a deep sadness about this suicide. We ll need to help each other talk about our loss and our feelings. We ll spend some time today talking about what happened, how we feel, and what we can do. Let s start with what happened. Give the facts of the person s death: who, what, when, and where (the how is not necessary). Here s what I know about how [student s name] will be remembered. Discuss any planned memorial or funeral services, or state that these arrangements are still being made and information will be shared as soon as it is known. Before we go on, do you have any questions or comments on what I ve shared so far? Dispel all rumors. Provide the facts or state that you will share the facts as soon as they are known. Thank you for your comments and questions. I really appreciate your willingness to share with the class and work together to understand what has happened. I would also like to reassure you that everyone in this school and in the school community is doing their best to make sure that you are safe. Describe any existing and new policies and procedures for ensuring student safety. GS 172

17 Getting Started In addition, the school has identified a number of people who are available to you if you want to talk about this. Here are their names and how you can contact them. List names and numbers on a flip chart page or give each student the sheet with this information. You can also take part in individual and group counseling by contacting [give contact names and information]. Are there any questions on how the school and community are working together to ensure your safety? Open answers. Thank you for your comments. As with the other things we ve discussed, when more information is available to me, I will share it with you. Invite Discussion In the following discussion, do not encourage speculation about why a person committed suicide. Instead, encourage students to express their feelings and stress the idea that whatever they are feeling is okay. When you think about this death, you may feel many strong emotions and not know whether it s okay to feel some of them. What we need to remember is that feelings are neither right nor wrong, good nor bad. It s okay if someone feels angry and sad about a suicide, and it s also okay if someone feels relief. Someone who feels relief might not have gotten along with the person who committed suicide or might have known that the person was struggling with some very difficult problems. I encourage you to accept and support each other s feelings of grief and any other feelings that might be expressed, such as anger or relief. SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN Feelings About the Student Who Died Let s spend some time hearing from each other. How do you feel about what has happened? Acknowledge each student s comments with a simple, brief statement that recognizes the validity of the student s feelings. National Educational Service GS 173

18 RECONNECTING YOUTH Encourage and invite all students to share, but respect those students who are unwilling to share at this time. It may be too difficult for them to talk about the strong feelings they are experiencing. As students share their feelings, find opportunities to share the following key ideas: Avoid Trying to Place Blame Suicide Is Not Glamorous You Are Not Responsible for the Suicide Feel Guilty? Talk to Someone You Trust When a person commits suicide, those who knew him or her often look for someone to blame. But it s important to avoid blaming yourself, friends, the person s family, or others. Suicide is a choice that the person who died made. No one else is responsible for that choice. There is nothing glamorous about suicide. Death by suicide is a permanent way to cope with a problem. It doesn t make a person into a hero or prove anything. When a person dies, there are no eyes to see with or ears to hear with. If you kill yourself, there is no way to show anyone anything. There are no guarantees of joining someone in an afterlife. You may feel guilty about this death. You may think about something you said or did. Or you might think [student s name] would be alive if you had said or done something. Whatever you did or did not do, it s important to remember that suicide is a choice that [student s name] made. No one else is responsible for that choice. If anyone is feeling guilty, it s very important for you to talk about it. If you re feeling overwhelmed by your feelings of guilt and cannot bring yourself to share them with the group, I urge you to talk with me outside of class. As we discussed before, it s okay to feel what you re feeling, but you don t need to bear those strong feelings alone and in silence. Talk to us, talk to me, talk with someone you trust. You may need to encourage and help some students get help if they are experiencing strong feelings of guilt. Feelings About Yourself and Others One emotion you may be feeling is fear not fear for the person who died, but fear for your own or other s GS 174

19 Getting Started suicidal tendencies. If you are worried about yourself or a friend, you should seek help from a trusted adult. Don t decide to ignore these feelings and hope they ll go away. You should also understand that suicide is not contagious. You don t have to make the choices that [student s name] made. You can find other solutions and make other choices. Praise, Summarize I m really proud of how honest and open you ve been with your feelings and of how supportive you ve been with each other. This is a very difficult time, but we can draw strength and support from each other as we handle some very difficult emotions. Discuss the Grieving Process I also want to acknowledge that the feelings you ve shared today, if you ve shared with the group, are probably only a few of the emotions you re feeling right now. Our discussion is just one opportunity to share with each other. There will be others. You can also make opportunities of your own by seeking out a trusted adult when you need to talk. From the moment we heard of [student s name] death, we began what is called the grieving process. Although everyone will respond a little differently, there are a number of steps in the process that we will all experience. One way of thinking about the grief process is described in a book called On Death and Dying. The book s author, the psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1969), has spent much of her life studying death and working with those who are dying. She has identified these five steps in the grief process: 1. Denial 2. Anger 3. Bargaining 4. Depression 5. Acceptance SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN National Educational Service GS 175

20 RECONNECTING YOUTH We are all likely to experience one or more of the first three steps denial, anger, bargaining. What s important to know about this process is that people usually don t go through it in an orderly way. You will probably move from one stage to another and then back again. You will grieve for [student s name] in your own way and in your own time. However difficult or painful our feelings are now, we can find hope in knowing that we will eventually move through the grief process. If you prepared a brief example of how the grief process has worked in your own life, share it at this time, making sure it is relevant to the students but does not overwhelm them. You could share the wide range of emotions you felt as a way to help students accept their own emotions. GROUP WORK Divide the class into groups of four or five students. Take the next few minutes to share your feelings with the other students in your group. You might want to share more of your feelings in the smaller group. Give students several minutes to share with each other. Monitor group activity and model supportive listening as needed. Students Create Notes and Drawings Distribute markers, pens, and paper to each group. Choose a pen and use the paper provided to write about what you are experiencing. Here are a few ways you can do this. You could write comments or a note of farewell to [student s name]. You could write to the family. If you re having a hard time finding words, you can draw how you re feeling. Give students several minutes to complete this task. Monitor their progress and provide support and encouragement as needed. Collect Group Work Place a large envelope within reach of the students. When you ve finished your note or drawing, please put it in this envelope so that it can be given to the family to show your care and concern for them. GS 176

21 Getting Started If you re uncomfortable sharing your work with the family, that s fine. Just give it to me directly. Before sending materials to the family, carefully review them to remove any items that may be inappropriate. SUMMARIZE LESSON Assess Group Mood Stress Critical Features Assess whether most of the class is ready to return to school work. If not, allow more time for group discussion. If so, refer those who are not ready to go on to the counseling center. Even though we re returning to our regular school work, we will continue to need support and express our feelings about what this death means to us. Some of us may need to talk a lot about this in the next few days or weeks. That s fine. Others may need to quietly think about what has happened and share how they feel with a few close friends. That s fine, too. The important thing is to remain open to what you re feeling and to understand that your feelings will change over time. Remember, there s nothing wrong with an emotion, with feeling one way or another. Not sharing our emotions can make our grieving process a lot more difficult because we won t get the support we need. Thank you for being so open and honest today, and for being so supportive of each other. SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN National Educational Service GS 177

22 REPRODUCIBLE Sample Announcement to Faculty Our student,, died last night of an apparent suicide. At this time, the investigation is still continuing and funeral arrangements are incomplete. As we all knew, it is natural that both faculty and students will need to deal with some very intense feelings. Responding to a death by suicide is not easy for any of us. The Crisis Response Plan in our building is in place. Support personnel (the intervention team) are in the counseling station and are available to talk with students and faculty to help us cope with this loss. If you would like to have a counselor or crisis team member talk to your class, please request this support. Please announce this death to your first-period class. All available information should be given in a calm, direct manner. Answer questions and allow as much time as needed to discuss feelings and reactions. If a student asks to join a group conducted by the intervention team, or if you detect students who would benefit from joining those groups, please allow them to do so. GS 178 Copyright 2004 by National Educational Service

23 REPRODUCIBLE Sample Announcement to Students One of our students,, died last night [today, yesterday]. The death was an apparent suicide. The investigation is in progress. Because many of us knew, it is only natural that we will need to deal with some very deep feelings. We are very saddened about this suicide, and we will need to help each other talk about our loss and about our feelings. Our counselors and our intervention team members are available to talk with anyone who would like to meet with them. They are located in. We will share information with you about the funeral when we receive it. The family of needs to know that we care, but they also need some privacy today. Sample Announcement to the Media Our crisis intervention team is responding to our request to help our students and faculty cope with the shock and grief due to the apparent suicide of one of our students,. Because we all knew, it is natural that both faculty and students will need to deal with some very intense feelings. Responding to a death by suicide is not easy for any of us. SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN The intervention support team will work with the counselors and faculty in our school to help students discuss their feelings and to help them cope with this loss. If you want further information, please contact the principal of our building. Please do not attempt to interview students or faculty at this time. We all need some privacy now in order to deal with our grief. Copyright 2004 by National Educational Service GS 179

24 REPRODUCIBLE Sample Record-Keeping Worksheet Date: School: Student name: Time and length of contact: Pertinent information: Parent contact and results: Suggestions for follow-up: Completed by: GS 180 Copyright 2004 by National Educational Service