School response to crisis situations dominated a special two-day training seminar held recently at Emporia State University.
The conference Thursday and Friday dealt with the use of the PREPaRE model – preventing and preparing for crises; reaffirming health and welfare as well as perceptions of safety and security; evaluating psychological trauma risk; providing interventions; responding to mental health needs; and examining the effectiveness of crisis readiness.
Dr. Jim Persinger, chair of Emporia State’s Department of Psychology, says the general crisis response system in Kansas schools needs a complete overhaul.
Persinger says counseling should be part of the overall picture, which should also include a multidisciplinary approach to restore equilibrium and attend to those needing help through a pre-defined plan — which is what the PREPaRE model is all about.
Persinger cited a 2018 report from the New York Times which noted 137 school-related deaths between the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting in 2018. During the same timeframe, there were over 6,600 school suicides. Despite those stats, Persinger says few schools have suicide prevention programs.
The PREPaRE model incorporates guidance from the US Department of Education’s Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools as well as the Department of Homeland Security’s Incident Command System approach.
The two-day training session at Visser Hall was funded by a nearly $24,000 grant from the Kansas Health Foundation and involved ESU graduate students, school district crisis team members, school resource officers, principals and psychologists.
