9.26.14 How Prepared Is Your School for a Disaster?
National Preparedness Month is September. The theme for 2014 is “Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare.” This is an opportunity to consider what simple, specific actions individuals, families and communities can take to increase emergency preparedness –anything ranging from earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, and winter storms. If you do have a plan in place, this is a good time to remind everyone of their role in emergency plans, policies, and procedures.
National Preparedness Month culminates on September 30 with National PrepareAthon! Day. It’s not too late to review your policies and be sure everyone has the right information they need to respond as a team.
TOOLS & RESOURCES:
Consider an assessment of your understanding of elements critical to the process of creating and maintaining a high-quality emergency operations plan (EOP).
- Visit the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center or REMS TA Center website to start assessing your understanding of fundamental emergency management planning concepts and to learn about planning tools the TA Center is developing.
- EOP Assess is an interactive tool that supports individuals and planning teams at K-12 schools, school districts, and IHEs as they engage in this important preparedness activity.
- The EOPGuides: The Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans and the Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Institutions of Higher Education provide the foundation for this HTML-based tool.
- NEA HIN has created The School Crisis Guide to foster the creation of crisis teams with the ideas, tips, tools, and, resources that spur effective leadership and crisis management. Knowing what to do in a crisis can be the difference between stability and upheaval. This step-by-step resource created by educators for educators can make it easier for union leaders, school district administrators, and principals to keep schools safe — before, during and after a crisis.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers additional resources for a variety of natural disasters and other crisis situations for which schools must be prepared. We encourage you to communicate with others on the topic of preparedness, to engage in a preparedness activity, and to utilize the available free resources to support your efforts available at www.ready.gov/prepare.
- Additional FEMA Resources: “How to Get Involved” quick guide and a Digital Engagement Toolkit.
Reflections of an NEA RA Expo Newbie
Armed with my best booth smile, comfortable shoes and 1,000 lip balms to give away, I set out for Denver to get caught up in the pre- Representative Assembly (RA) energy I had been hearing about since joining the organization six months ago. I was excited to see the setting for the RA and to get the chance to meet some of the members we serve.
I was not disappointed.
The vibe, the energy, THE BUZZ I had been hearing about– it was all there. People were truly excited to be there, which is at the heart of any successful event. It was so great to talk to so many members from across the country. Working at headquarters, I don’t get that opportunity often enough, so I made-up for lost time in the Expo’s Hall of Health and Safety.
You told me about the concerns you have about health issues in your schools. You told me how much you love the students you work with. You told your stories, shared your frustrations, asked great questions, and made myself and the rest of the NEA Health Information Network’s team proud to work with and for members like you! Passionate, dedicated, smart, funny people who work so hard to make each day better for the students you serve. In my book, America cannot ask for anything better than that.
So thanks for all that you do, and thanks for the Denver memories! The NEAHIN team looks forward to seeing you all next summer in Orlando. And don’t worry, we’ll bring the lip balm.
Bethe
Associate Executive Director
Suicide Awareness Training and Prevention Requires Ongoing Professional Development
The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10-24. According to the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, more than 1 in 7 high school students in the U.S. reported having seriously considered attempting suicide in the 12 months preceding the survey, and 7.8% of students (about 1 in 13) reported having attempted suicide in the preceding 12 months. Anytime we lose a young person to suicide is one time too many.
Recognizing the First Signs
School personnel are in a prime position to recognize the signs of suicide and make immediate referrals for intervention. They need adequate training to acquire the necessary skills and confidence to intervene with youth at-risk. Readily available training is one way to ensure that all school personnel have a baseline understanding of suicide risk and the referral process. In addition to educators and school leaders, school-based mental health professionals such as counselors, social workers, and psychologists are essential to implementing policies and practices to strengthen a safe and healthy school environment, identify students who may be at risk of suicide, and immediately intervene.
Tragically, many of today’s incidences of school violence are perpetrated by individuals who ultimately intended to commit suicide (and often succeed). Therefore, efforts to reduce school and community violence and ensure student and staff safety in our schools must include an understanding of suicide prevention and what is involved in the identification and referral of students at risk of suicide. Effective suicide prevention is an essential component of any violence prevention effort. Schools will be more effective in suicide prevention with a comprehensive approach that involves better awareness, training, and a coordinated effort to link students and families in need of services with community resources.
NEA strongly encourages our members to include suicide prevention, alertness, and intervention and postvention programs in the ongoing professional development and educator preparation programs for teachers, education support professionals, and specialized instructional support personnel, including school mental health service providers.
What can you do?
- NEA members should familiarize themselves with the suicide prevention resources and information available to school personnel.
- Determine whether your state or school district provides training opportunities for school personnel to identify students in need and respond appropriately.
- Use the available resources to advocate for state, district and/or school board policies that support suicide prevention training programs for school personnel.
The NEA Health Information Network has compiled these educator-friendly resources to ensure all NEA members have access to this information.
More information and numerous resources are available from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.
Warning Signs for Suicide
These signs may mean someone is at risk for suicide. Risk is greater if a behavior is new or has increased and if it seems related to a painful event, loss, or change. Seek help as soon as possible by contacting a mental health professional or calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
- Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself
- Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or buying a gun
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
- Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Withdrawing or feeling isolated
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
- Displaying extreme mood swings
A Comprehensive Approach to Safe Schools
The effort to make our schools and communities safer requires a comprehensive approach. Arming educators or even simply adding an armed school resource officer (SRO) is not an effective solution. Schools must focus on better meeting the social, emotional, and developmental needs of our students and identifying and addressing mental health issues as early as possible, through effective interventions and proper referral for services. This includes greater access to school-based health and mental health services, school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists. These skilled professionals work not only with the students, but with the teachers and staff who benefit from their ongoing consultation and guidance.
An NEA member-written report, “Sensible Solutions for Safe Schools,” contains recommendations for producing safe and secure learning environments for all students. The VIVA (Voice Ideas Vision Action) NEA Idea Exchange writing collaborative identified five central issues and corresponding solutions that seem most critical to increasing the safety of our schools and our children: changing curriculum and school culture; addressing mental illness; improving building security; connecting schools and their communities; and dealing with guns in schools. In developing these solutions, the writers agreed that, “Arming personnel is a difficult, controversial and emotionally charged issue, with strong opinions on both sides of the debate.”
In 2013, in the aftermath of Newtown, state lawmakers in legislatures nationwide introduced more than 30 bills designed to allow school personnel or volunteers to carry firearms—with six states passing such legislation. Both the NEA and the AFT have taken a stand on this issue.
“Guns have no place in our schools, period,” says NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “Lawmakers at every level of government should dismiss this dangerous idea and instead focus on measures that will create the safe and supportive learning environments our children deserve.” Read the full statement here.
Only 22 percent of NEA members polled favor a proposal to allow teachers and other school employees to receive firearms training and allow them to carry firearms in schools, while 68 percent oppose this proposal, including 61 percent who strongly oppose it.
Most recently, NEAToday reinforced the organizations’ position. “Countless law enforcement and school safety experts believe schools that arm their staff are inviting an unacceptable level of risk. Guns could be secured by students, or a manageable situation could easily turn deadly, for example. Proponents argue that staff would undergo extensive training to avoid these kinds of incidents, but critics respond that educators aren’t in school to be armed guards and no amount of training is going to change that.”
NEA will continue to promote comprehensive and positive approaches to safe and healthy schools, including having emergency management and crisis response plans in place. NEA commends the Obama Administration for releasing an updated Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans. This guide complements the recommendations and resources put forth in the NEA Health Information Network’s School Crisis Guide. NEA highlights these resources and reinforces the involvement of the entire school community here.
National Public Health Week is Here
There are many ways to get involved throughout the week and beyond, so be sure to check the NPHW website. Also, each morning of NPHW, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be creating a new #PHNerd graphic to go along with our daily themes! Plus don’t forget to use the hashtag #NPHW and follow @NPHW on Twitter and ‘like’ APHA’s Facebook page.
A Public Health Approach to Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention
Join APHA and CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control for a dynamic panel presentation discussing the importance of prescription drug overdose prevention. Hosted by Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, the live presentation will take place Tuesday, April 8, at 12 p.m. EDT. Viewers will be able to log in the day of the event.
Leading health indicators webinar
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and APHA will cosponsor a webinar on the leading health indicators on Tuesday, April 8, at 2 p.m. EDT. Join us to learn about progress in improving the leading health indicators, which are key components of the Healthy People 2020 initiative. The webinar will feature HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Howard Koh, MD, MPH, and APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD. We will also hear from a state agency that has incorporated the indicators into its state health improvement plans.
New health reform tool for public health workers
The first 40 people to register for a new health reform planning toolkit during NPHW (#NPHW) will receive a 1G flash drive with all of the materials they need to get started! “Leading Through Health System Change: A Public Health Opportunity” is a free toolkit that is already helping more than 600 users in 49 states to think more adaptively, engage in important conversations, and plan strategically with their colleagues and partners. Visit www.acaplanningtool.com to register and learn more.
Other NPHW events
- Twitter chat: Wednesday, April 9, at 2 p.m. EDT
- Chronic Disease, Air Pollution & Public Health: Wednesday, April 9, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. EDT
- Food Justice, Obesity & the Social Determinants of Health: Thursday, April 10, at 2 p.m. EDT
- NPHW Active Transportation Hangout on Air: Friday, April 11, at 2 p.m. EDT
Suicide prevention,awareness, and on-going professional development in schools
Anytime we lose a young person to suicide is one time too many. Tragically, most of today’s school shootings end in both harm to innocents and in the suicide of the perpetrators. Efforts to reduce school and community violence and ensure student and staff safety in our schools must include an understanding of suicide prevention and what is involved in the identification and referral of students at risk of suicide.
According to the latest (2010) data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10-24 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). According to the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, more than 1 in 7 high school students in the U.S. reported having seriously considered attempting suicide in the 12 months preceding the survey, and 7.8% of students (about 1 in 13) reported having attempted suicide in the preceding 12 months.
School personnel are in a prime position to recognize the signs of suicide and make immediate referrals for intervention. They need adequate training to acquire the necessary skills and confidence to intervene with youth at-risk. Required and readily available training is one way to ensure that all school personnel have a baseline understanding of suicide risk and the referral process.
In addition to educators and school leaders, school-based mental health professionals such as counselors, social workers, and psychologists are essential to implementing policies and practices to strengthen a safe and healthy school environment, identify students who may be at risk of suicide, and immediately intervene.
Effective suicide prevention is an essential component of any violence prevention effort. Schools will be more effective in suicide prevention with a comprehensive approach that involves better awareness, training, and a coordinated effort to link students and families in need of services with community resources.
NEA strongly encourages our members to include suicide prevention, alertness, and intervention and postvention programs in the ongoing professional development and educator preparation programs for teachers, education support professionals, and specialized instructional support personnel, including school mental health service providers.
What can you do?
- NEA members should familiarize themselves with the suicide prevention resources and information available to school personnel.
- Determine whether your state or school district provides training opportunities for school personnel to identify students in need and respond appropriately.
- Use the available resources to advocate for state, district and/or school board policies that support suicide prevention training programs for school personnel.
The NEA Health Information Network has compiled these educator-friendly resources here on our website to ensure all members have access to this information.
More information and numerous resources are available from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.