This brochure contains basic information on crisis planning. It includes information on: (1) preparedness; (2) mitigation and prevention; (3) recovery; (4) response; and (5) Preparing schools for a crisis.

The goals of this presentation were to help mental health professionals learn more about intervening in aviation disasters, learn about the uniqueness of disaster mental health, and share the presenter's mental health disaster experiences as they relate to aviation disasters. Survivors' emotional phases during the disaster recovery process are…

Throughout the country and especially in Texas, local communities opened their arms to hurricane Katrina evacuees. Like the federal government, emergency health and mental health entities were unprepared for the massive numbers of people needing assistance. Mental health professionals, though armed with a wealth of crisis intervention information,…

In response to calls to evaluate the effectiveness of school crisis drills, this study examined the effects of children's crisis drill participation on their knowledge, skills, state anxiety, and perceptions of school safety. Using a between-subjects, post-test only design, 74 students in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades participated in an…

Reviews literature pertaining directly to responses to man-made disasters, with specific emphasis on emotional responses to terrorism. Summarizes the effects of the bombing of the World Trade Center on its survivors and on the wider community. Examples of mental health outreach efforts and case vignettes of brief cognitive behavior therapeutic…

This article describes the crisis intervention techniques used by the San Fernanco Valley Child Guidance Clinic to help families deal with the traumatic events experienced in the 1971 earthquake in California. (Author)

Despite their best and frequently heroic efforts, school crisis intervention teams often find themselves unprepared for the many types of tragedies they face. This timely text prompts crisis intervention team members to reevaluate their beliefs and practices and consider a new approach to dealing with school crises. The author, a longtime school…

Most colleges and universities are poorly prepared to efficiently address and manage crises. That is the finding of a survey, the results of which were in the January/February issue of the publication, "Change." The authors point to Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 terrorist attacks as wake-up calls to higher education and maintain both that campus…

School leaders carry great responsibility when a crisis occurs. Understanding the significance and use of school crisis teams is vitally important and often unknowingly overlooked. This article examines the crucial role of school leaders when a crisis event occurs. Through combining existing research, case vignettes of actual events, and…

Describes a newly developed model of intervention that responds rapidly to natural disasters or political and social crises. The model focuses on community response to the event to identify a community of sufferers. Highlights the efficacy of service delivery wherein the relationships among social workers are egalitarian and cooperative.…

Between February 7 and February 24, 2002, Utah and Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics. Due to the bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the emotional fallout that resulted, it was recommended that the Utah Psychological Association and Utah Red Cross plan for such an occurrence and organize a coordinated Disaster Mental Health…

Outlines the sequence of events in the Los Angeles civil unrest (riots) and summarizes several of the underlying causes that precipitated the event. Describes the psychological reactions of victims and emergency responders. Discusses crisis interventions used to minimize the emotional aftereffects. Discusses what mental health professionals and…

In this article, the author recalls a situation he encountered when a 4-year old boy inexplicably collapsed unconscious to the ground in the middle of his preschool classroom. She describes how the school had a detailed emergency and crisis plan in effect and how they utilized it while dealing with this situation. Sections include: (1) A Working…

In July 2000 the first Emergency Duty Team was established within the Eastern Health & Social Services Board in Northern Ireland, fundamentally changing the way in which out of hours social work services are provided. The other three Boards are now also examining how they might provide for their statutory responsibilities out of hours and are…

"Lessons Learned" is a series of publications that are a brief recounting of actual school emergencies and crises. This "Lessons Learned" issue addresses the experience of a school district where three middle school students hung themselves within a three-week timeframe. Although deaths were apparently unconnected, the school district is part of a…