The impact of tragedies on individual children and adults is not simple to predict. The range of human responses can include physical, cognitive, behavioral, spiritual and emotional symptoms including, nausea, sleep disturbance, slowed thinking, bad memories, regressed behavior, anxiety, guilt, depression, anger and a host of other responses.

Potential experiences or feelings after a trauma include:

• Sense of fear, worry
• Disruption of home, routine
• Feeling that one's life was or is threatened
• Feeling trapped and isolated
• Feeling out of control of life's basics: food, shelter,     clothing, people, comfort ...even life itself
• Having flashbacks to other catastrophes
• Feeling cut-off from services
• Being separated from loved ones
• Having a sense of mortality
• Feeling "survivor guilt"
• Children who are forced to become "parents" to adults who are scared or worried
• Problems sleeping (too much or too little)
• Loss of weight
• Poor hygiene

Managing a School Crisis Response for Administrators
School Crisis Manual for your School or District
Talking to Children about Natural Disasters

Any event which produces a temporary state of psychological disequilibrium and a subsequent state of emotional turmoil.

1. Principal identifies 2 individuals to serve as the Site Liaison/Peer Counselors.
2. Site team members receive training.
3. Site Crisis response team (CRT) provides a staff training during a staff meeting at the beginning of each school year.
4. Site CRT is called on to assist in critical incidents, as determined by the principal.

• Be available for a critical incident response, when called out by the Principal.
• Initiate communication with students, parents and the community during and after every critical incident as called to by the principal.
• Conduct or coordinate awareness programs for students.
• Conduct or coordinate orientation training for staff and recommend additional site training.
• Perform an operational critique after every critical incident where they are called out, to determine areas for improvement regarding the school's crisis response.

The reaction a person or group has to a critical incident. Critical incident stress is characterized by a wide range of cognitive, physical, emotional, and behavioral signs and symptoms.

It should be noted that not all critical events are critical events to everybody.  The key is the perception of danger.  For most, being around tornadoes, earthquakes and acts of terrorism will produce critical incident stress, however, if you are trained and experienced as responders, your perception of danger may be different, thus your reactions.

Any event which has a stressful impact sufficient enough to overwhelm the usually effective coping skills of either an individual or group. They are typically sudden, powerful events which are outside the range of our ordinary human experience.

Recovery is the process of assisting people with the physical, psychological and emotional trauma associated with experiencing tragic events.

Recovery is a long-term process of supporting people who have experienced abnormal stressors. Initially, individuals may be in shock and may require support to meet basic physical and social support needs. In the months and years that follow a critical incident, individuals may enter a grief phase and need continued support. Children and their parents, faculty, staff and administrators, public safety personnel and the larger community are all impacted by tragic events and will benefit from immediate and ongoing support.

Faculty:

Keith Drieberg, Ph.D
Neuropsychologist (PSY13844)
Teaching Educator
Chair, Curriculum & Instruction

Raymond Hurst, Ed.D
Teaching Staff Member –Curriculum & Instruction

To contact the School of Education-Department of Curriculum & Instruction department, and schedule a time to talk or web conference one of the professors, Call-951-785-2184.