Building Resiliency for Healthy Recovery
Crises in schools can be sudden, generally unanticipated events that profoundly affect a school population and may involve emotional trauma and/or community trauma.
When a crisis occurs in Poudre School District, staff are involved in several crucial aspects including:
- Responding to the specific crisis
- Managing the crisis scene
- Providing recovery support for students.
Although grief experienced as the result of a crisis cannot be avoided, trained and supportive staff can help those impacted navigate through it, while assisting in building resiliency for a healthy recovery.
District Crisis Response Team Support
The District Crisis Response Team includes the Communications Department, Security, Employee Assistance Services (EAS), and the District Mental Health Team. The Communications and Security Departments assist with coordinating communication with stakeholders and impacted families and staff.
The Mental Health Team and EAS are typically involved with direct support of students and staff at schools, working collaboratively with school-based staff to support students after an event.
This support may include:
- Partnering with staff to share and process information with students in their classrooms
- Meeting individually or in groups with grieving students
- Talking with parents or facilitating parent meetings around how to support their students
- Working with school-based staff on plans to build student resilience in the months and years after the event
Families are a vital part of helping students to heal following a crisis. Resources to help you support your child are available below.
If you would like more information about crisis response and recovery services in PSD, contact Sarah Mowder-Wilkens, mental health and prevention coordinator, at smowder@psdschools.org.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Need support now? If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available - call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
People who call or text the 988 number are connected to a trained counselor at a crisis center closest to them. If a local crisis center is too busy to respond right away, the call gets routed to one of 16 backup centers around the country.
More about the 988 crisis lifeline:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - 988 suicide & crisis lifeline
- Federal Communications Commission overview about 988
Helpful Resources for Staff and Families
General Grief Resources
General Grief Resources
Grief Resources for Specific Populations | Grief and Special Circumstances
Grief Resources for Specific Populations
Grief and Special Circumstances
Traumatic Grief
Community Trauma Resources
Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth After a Recent Shooting
Español - Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth After a Recent Shooting