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The Challenge: Putting the 3Rs together, what are the basic goals for a crisis team?
Ms. Wong: The goals are to return students and teachers to the classroom, to reduce the range and severity of trauma-related symptoms, to foster positive coping skills and promote resilience, and to restore the learning environment.

The Challenge: Should a crisis team plan differently for different crises—for example, natural disasters versus man-made disasters (such as school shootings)?
Ms. Wong: First of all, a school community should identify the most likely kinds of crises and disasters that may impact the school, and discuss the emergencies the school has had to confront in the past. For some, hurricanes or tornadoes are potential disasters every year. For others, it may be floods, fires, or earthquakes.

Unfortunately, educators also should be prepared to confront some of the other student crises that schools across the country have had to face. Suicidal behavior or suicides, gang activity, weapon violence, the unexpected death of students or staff, bomb threats, and automobile accidents are but a few of the crises that negatively impact schools.

In order to be prepared for any crisis, a school will need to establish its crisis team, command structure, and community partnerships well ahead of time. The school must identify and assess its risks and develop its plans. Crisis team members must discuss what steps must be taken to be prepared to maintain the safety of the students and staff; to shelter them in place or to evacuate them if the need arises; and to establish the protocols to reunite children with their families if separated. In the Los Angeles Unified School District, our motto is “educate, train, practice, and inspect what we expect.” Through being prepared to provide psychological first aid, comfort, and emotional support to students, families, and staff, we assist in returning children to the classroom and in restoring the learning environment.