Although not intended as a complete manual, the guide gives families a better chance of surviving and recovering from a major emergency by helping them learn what emergencies and disasters could occur in the area, how to prepare for them, what action to take in emergencies, and how to develop emergency skills. The guide explains what supplies to…

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, schools may need to plan to address the suffering and loss of many. These Guidance Notes discuss five areas in which schools can help students cope with loss: (1) Fostering Resiliency; (2) Facilitating and Fostering Social Ties and Resources; (3) Stages of Grieving; (4) Helping Students Deal with Loss; and…

Educators are not preparing adequately for the possibility of a sudden catastrophe. Outlines a disaster recovery plan and the duties of a disaster recovery team. Lists 10 short-term disaster recovery procedures. (MLF)

Describes how teachers can equip students to deal with disaster, focusing on coping with earthquakes. The article suggests watching for symptoms, encouraging expression, providing concrete information, helping soothe parents, developing emergency plans, holding emergency drills, and developing a communication strategy. Tips for before and after…

Guidelines to help school districts in Pennsylvania recognize potential hazards and develop a plan of community action are presented in this guidebook. The 1988 Emergency Management Services Code requires that every publicly funded state school have a disaster response plan that is exercised annually. Further, all publicly funded educational…

One of the changes experienced during the past decade has been the occurrence of human-caused disasters. With the rise in the number of such complex events, the Center for Mental Health Services has updated this training manual to assist mental health administrators and workers in developing the training components of crisis counseling. This…

This handbook was designed to help educators develop a proactive school-preparedness plan for dealing with a variety of crises, ranging from natural disasters to accidents to acts of violence. The School Emergency Response Plan (SERP) is not a violence-prevention program; rather, it is part of an overall effort to ensure a safe learning…

This field manual is intended for mental health workers and other human service providers who assist survivors following a disaster. It provides the basics of disaster mental health, with both specific and practical suggestions for workers. Essential information is included about disaster survivors' reactions and needs such as dealing with grief;…

Dozens of natural disaster shelters (mostly schools) in five Caribbean islands were assessed as to their vulnerability and the needed retrofitting to upgrade them. This report provides retrofit consultants with terms of reference and building design criteria for withstanding various natural disasters, as well as estimated global costs of various…

A workshop report provides the structure and content of a school building vulnerability reduction plan for schools in Dominica, determines roles and interactions between school stakeholders, and designs a natural hazard vulnerability reduction program. It provides a profile of the current stock of school buildings in Dominica while also addressing…

This document outlines the existing conditions of school buildings and their vulnerability to natural hazards on the island of St. Kitts, and makes recommendations on how to better protect them from these hazards. Profiles of the schools are detailed and the roles and responsibilities of the various organizations concerning construction,…

This revised non-regulatory guidance for the McKinney-Vento program, which replaces the March 2003 guidance, includes new questions that address the following issues: whether children awaiting foster care placement are eligible for McKinney-Vento services (Item G-10); if children displaced from their homes by a natural disaster are eligible for…

This guide offers suggestions to college administrators for dealing with a variety of emergency or crisis situations that could affect a community college's effectiveness. The authors used the Institute for Crisis Management's (ICM) four types of crises in higher education as the framework for the guide. The four types of crises are: (1) sudden;…

This paper and accompanying workshop address the changing and expanding role of school psychologists resulting from disasters and increasing violence in schools and communities. The objectives of this workshop were: to encourage school psychologists to expand their roles to include crisis intervention as an essential part of their service…

Major natural and human-caused disasters deeply affect children, and they have a special vulnerability to such events. The importance of providing crisis counseling recovery assistance within the context of their special world cannot be over emphasized. The information in this manual provides both theory and guidance to individuals concerned with…