Natural Disasters, Pandemics, and Other Crises

This chapter provides an overview of best practices for developing school crisis intervention, mitigation, and prevention plans. School disaster response models and trauma-informed care practices are provided to support school personnel in preparing for and responding to large-scale disasters. A crisis intervention model is presented as a framework for planning at the regional, district, and school levels. Specific steps for crisis intervention services in the aftermath of a disaster are also provided, as are resources and websites that aid school personnel in crisis preparedness, training, and response. A case example then illustrates how the model can be applied as a school responds to a large-scale disaster.