After the Wolf Has Visited the Village –

1. After the Wolf Has Visited the Village – Healing after unthinkable tragedies

2. The Numbers One out of every 4 children attending school has been exposed to a traumatic event that can affect learning and/or behavior.

3. Crisis Response in a Nutshell Principle of Opposites: Intervening in Crisis requires one to stay calm and be focused on basic needs: If cold, add warm. If wet, add dry. If hard, add soft. If dark, add light. If hungry, add food. If thirsty, add water. If homeless, add shelter. If naked, add clothes. If lost, add orientation. If hopeless, add hope. If crowded, add space. If isolated, add people. Walk into the middle of a crisis, stay calm, and apply the principals of opposites Excerpt from Beginnings, Middles, and Ends – Sideways Stories on the Art and Soul of Social Work by Ogden W. Rogers

4. Psychological First Aid – Resources

5. Psychological First Aid or PFA • For use in any number of emergencies large and small: • Acts of violence • Natural Disasters • Terrorist Attacks • Medical emergencies • Transportation accidents • Sports Injuries • Peer Victimization • Sudden death of a member of the school community

6. Psychological First Aid - PFA

7. Psychological First Aid - PFA • Evidenced informed intervention model used by a range of organizations • Used in the immediate aftermath of an emergency • Goal of reducing initial distress and facilitate adaptive functioning/coping

8. Psychological First Aid - PFA • For use immediately following an incident (one hour to a couple of weeks) • Time limited, goal directed, strength-based • Can be delivered by any staff member – because it is NOT psychotherapy

9. PFA • Crisis intervention is not designed to eliminate/alleviate pain • Crisis intervention is designed to reduce the likelihood of lasting trauma/suffering

10. PFA - basics • Goals: • Establish positive connections • Enhance immediate safety • Calm and orientate • Offer practical assistance • Connect to support networks • Empower • Avoid: • Assumptions about experiences/trauma • Pathologizing • Patronizing • Talking when not necessary • Asking for details of the event • Speculation

11. PFA – Preparation • Knowledge is Power – Gathering Information • Learn about the school • Identify the Features of the Event • Location, time, number of people involved, cause, unique features, rumors • Be aware of at-risk populations • Be aware of diversity issues

12. PFA Core Actions

13. Core Actions – Contact and Engagement • To initiate contacts or respond to contacts by students and staff in a non-intrusive, compassionate, and helpful manner • Before you approach – observe • Offer practical assistance (food, water) • Ask simple questions • Exude calm, be direct, no acronyms • Expect some resilience – not everyone will need help!

14. Core Actions – Contact and Engagement

15. Core Actions - Safety and Comfort • Enhance immediate and ongoing safety, and provide physical and emotional comfort • Physical safety, physical comfort • Provide a sense of predictability • Provide information

16. Core Actions - Safety and Comfort • Do provide information that is accurate, direct, and clear • Do address immediate needs and concerns • Do discourage the excessive viewing of media coverage • Do not guess or speculate regarding the situation • Do not reassure through the promise of services or events unless you know they will be available • Do not probe for details or for emotional reflection

18. Core Actions – Safety and Comfort • Provide tasks to students, staff, and families

19. Core Actions - Stabilization • To calm and orient emotionally overwhelmed or disorientated students and school staff • For individuals who appear disorientated or extremely agitated • Most individuals will not require stabilization • Utilize a grounding activity (5 senses)

20. Core Actions – Stabilization Adults, adolescents, or school-aged children who need stabilization may be: • Disoriented: engaging in aimless disorganized behavior • Disconnected: numb; startlingly unaffected by the event • Confused: not able to understand what is happening around them; not making sense • Panicked: extremely anxious; unable to settle; their eyes wide and darting • Hysterical: sobbing uncontrollably; hyperventilating; rocking • Excessively preoccupied: unable to think about anything else • In denial: refusing to accept that the event took place • In physical shock: not being able to move; frozen • Glassy-eyed and staring vacantly; unable to find direction • Unresponsive to verbal questions or commands • Exhibiting frantic searching behavior • Feeling incapacitated by worry • Engaging in risky activities

21. Core Actions - Stabilization Young children who need stabilization may be: • Staring blankly • Unresponsive • Displaying behaviors they had outgrown (e.g., urinating in inappropriate places, sucking a thumb) • Screaming • Crying or sobbing uncontrollably • Hyperventilating • Moving in an agitated way (thrashing, pushing away) • Hiding (in a corner or under a table) • Clinging excessively

22. Core Actions - Stabilization

23. Core Actions - Stabilization • Never underestimate the power of

24. Core Actions: Information Gathering • To identify immediate needs and concerns, gather additional information and tailor interventions to meet needs

25. Core Actions: Information Gathering • How are you doing right now? What do you need right now? • What happened to you during the event? How were you affected? • How has the event impacted you/family/friends? • Do you have concerns/worries about the future?

26. Core Actions: Information Gathering

27. Core Actions: Practical Assistance • To offer practical help to students and staff to address their immediate needs and concerns • Identify the most immediate needs • Clarify the Need • Discuss an Action Plan • Act to Address the Need

28. Core Actions: Practical Assistance Those who have experienced emergencies have more favorable outcomes if: • They are optimistic • They have confidence that life is predictable • They have a belief that they can achieve the goals they set • They have a belief that the community is willing to help • They engage in positive self-talk • They have the knowledge that they will have the resources they need (such as support from others, money for essentials items)

29. Core Actions: Connection with Social Supports • To help establish brief or ongoing contacts with primary support persons or other sources of support, including family, friends, teachers, and school and/or community resources

30. Core Actions: Connection with Social Supports

31. Core Actions: Information on Coping • To provide information about stress reactions and coping to reduce distress and promote adaptive functioning • Provide basic information about stress reactions • Adaptive versus maladaptive coping • Helping with difficulties with concentrating and learning • Monitoring Warning Signs

32. Core Actions: Information on Coping

33. Linkage with Collaborative Services • To link students and staff with available services they need now or will need in the future.