Preparing for School Tragedy
Acts of violence, suicide and other tragedies can leave a school faced with grieving students, distressed parents and school staff, media attention, and a community struggling to understand what happened and why. In these situations, schools need reliable information, practical tools, and pragmatic guidance to help them protect their students, to communicate with the public, and to return to their primary mission of educating students.
The Children’s Wellness Coalition recommends three resources to guide your work preparing for tragedy at schools.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) produced After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools to assist schools in the aftermath of a suicide in the school community.
After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools
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Open in new tab The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center produced After a School Tragedy… Readiness, Response, Recovery and Resources to assist schools in the aftermath of wide-ranging tragedy.
After a School Tragedy... Readiness, Response, Recovery and Resources
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The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction produced the Emotional and Behavioral Distress Guide to provide local school districts with best practice templates for recognizing and responding to emotional or behavioral distress in students, including possible sexual abuse.
Emotional and Behavioral Distress Guide
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These resources reflect consensus recommendations developed in consultation with national experts, including school-based administrators and staff, clinicians, researchers, and crisis response professionals.