Crisis Services
Crisis Intervention for Students
A crisis is a traumatic event or situation in which things are very uncertain, difficult, or painful. It is usually unpredictable and overwhelming for those who experience it.
From time to time, all school districts are faced with a crisis that is uncertain; times when immediate action must be taken to avoid complete disaster or breakdown.
Postvention Support
Crisis intervention is the business or process of working through a crisis to solve or cope with problems as they arise.
Who Provides the Service?
Intermediate Unit 1 has created a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) that can respond to and address a variety of situations within the school and community environments.
Situations include but are not limited to:
- Death of a student
- Death of a faculty member
- Natural disaster
- Environment crisis
- School-wide threats
- Individual student emergencies
- Other critical incidents
The Crisis Intervention Team is composed of masters-level school social workers and masters-level school psychologists with mental health and educational backgrounds.
The focus of the CIT is to work with each school district and the resources that it already possesses to proved quality intervention to the students, faculty and the community at large. The CIT will facilitate a rapid, coordinated, effective response when a crisis occurs.
Who is Eligible?
All school districts in Fayette, Greene, and Washington Counties are eligible to utilize the Crisis Intervention Team.
How Much Does It Cost?
There are no fees for any school district that requests and uses the Crisis Intervention Team. Our hope is that the CIT is not necessary, however, a school district may utilize the CIT as often as necessary during a school year.
Letters and Announcements for Handling Crises
Sample Parent Letters
- Suicide (PDF Document)
- Death of a Family Member (PDF Document)
- Death of a Staff Member (PDF Document)
- Natural Disaster (PDF Document)
- Disaster in Community (PDF Document)
- Death of a Student (PDF Document)
- Tragic Accident/Incident (PDF Document)
Sample Announcements
Other Documents
- Guidelines for Talking with Students in the Aftermath of a Suicide (PDF Document)
- Examples of Possible Classroom Discussions After a School Suicide (PDF Document)
- Ten Tips for "In Your Face" Crisis Prevention (PDF Document)
- Staff Members with First Aid Training (PDF Document)
- Coded Communication System (PDF Document)
- Private Physician Request for Administration of Medication During School Hours (PDF Document)
- Parent Agreement and Release Form (PDF Document)
Contact Procedures
To activate the Crisis Intervention Team, contact either of the persons listed here.
Donald M. Martin
Executive Director
724-938-3241 ext. 429
donald.martin@iu1.org
Charisse Bowman
Supervisor of Mental Health Services
724-938-3241 ext. 246
charisse.bowman@iu1.org