Supporting Students and School Communities Through Crisis

Responding to Students’ Urgent Needs

Now, more than ever before, schools are charged with understanding the impact of trauma and working collaboratively to address and meet the needs of students and staff. Schools need to be prepared to address a variety of individual needs and barriers urgently with supports that are holistic, personalized, and culturally affirming to meet students where they are.

Integrated supports should systematically assess students’ comprehensive needs and strengths and coordinate resources in a unified and collaborative way, through a tiered supports system. A critical piece of this system is a crisis plan component that is responsive rather than just reactive, one that allows for students who are experiencing disruptions in their health, mood, behavior, and/or skill development to receive support immediately.

Tools for Setting up the Crisis Component

This set of 7 tools includes:

School Crisis Plan Rationale
Step-by-Step Guidance for Providing Crisis Level Supports to Students
Crisis Team Meeting Roles
A sample school Tiered Supports Crisis Plan
Universal Supports Following a Crisis (For school leaders, student support staff, and teachers)