Crisis Management Plans Help Schools Recover from Catastrophe

Just six more days and he would have returned to his high school to crown the next homecoming king. He was a phenomenal athlete and an even better person, the very definition of student-athlete. He had gone away for college but came back to throw a birthday party and reconnect with the community that had supported him for years. Sadly, the party got out of hand, gun violence erupted, and he became a victim of circumstances that is nothing short of a plague in the nation.

The sharp knife of a life cut short instantly sends ripples through the community. As the students share the stories and the police conduct their investigation, everyone feels the effects. Gripped by fear it becomes harder to attend class and parents pull their students out, information and misinformation mix into a slurry that shrouds any chance of healing.

Nobody ever wants to experience scenarios like these, yet it is in these times that school leaders must take their communities in their hands to provide guidance. School leaders must accept the reality of the situation and be available. Students, staff and community members look for leaders to acknowledge uncomfortable realities and set new pathways for recovery.

Crisis Management Plans
Most schools have some form of crisis management plans that deal with a variety of disasters. It is important that school leaders take time to review them with their staff so that everyone can be prepared. Whether it is running through a scenario where evacuation may be needed for a fire event that may cause major damage to a school or a student suicide which can devastate an entire community, school staff will be better prepared when they are familiar with and understand what role they can collectively play in helping a community respond and recover.

The most important aspect is centering the crisis management plan around students. Exploring questions regarding how the crisis affects students, how schools can help those in need, and how schools can help students recover can bring focus to any team so it can meet the needs of the students and community.

A portion of the plan should also focus on providing crisis counseling. Not every school counselor is equipped or trained to handle a major crisis, but taking steps to help the school build a toolbox and participate in targeted professional development will pay dividends in case something major happens and can make communities stronger and more resilient.

Crisis management plans should be regularly reviewed to ensure the information still has appropriate meaning. During a review, cell phone contacts may need to be updated and even different crises may want to be explored.

Leverage School Events to Start Community Healing
In some instances, school leaders might be tempted to delay or cancel upcoming games. Although a postponement may be necessary due to immediate necessities, canceling contests may be a mistake. School games and events play a valuable role in student and community identity, and they often mirror life in general.

Traditions are social constructs that live in the hearts and minds of those who participate in them, and each contest has its unique context that affects everyone involved. Depending on the school, some rivalry games have more than 100 years of history with some games played amidst the background of nations at war and yet still the games go on.

School events are much more than a date on a schedule. Whether it is a packed stadium or standing room only in the gym, the community in attendance will be engaged well before the event happens. School events carry an importance of bringing community together and normalizing the outside world. They help the community reset the reality around them, give opportunities to express collective grief and celebration, and can be a catalyst to start the healing process. When events occur in times of pain, it may be school traditions that help both spectators and participants start a recovery from crisis and help return toward a path to return to normalcy.

Create Opportunities for Students to Contribute
School leaders that bring the community together also should recognize and give space for current students to contribute to recovery efforts. Coaches and advisers may call special meetings with their teams or clubs to make plans on how they can support each other as well and share a unified message of recovery.

School leaders may want to help students explore different options such as fundraising for a memorial scholarship, contributing funds to a specific charity, or even exploring the possibility of creating a memorial sticker, shirt or bracelet that the students can have as a unifying keepsake. What is important is to let students drive the conversation as their creativity may bring forth meaningful ideas that may not be previously imagined.

Reflect and Evaluate to Find Improved Outcomes
As the days turn into weeks and months after crisis events, it is important to reflect to determine if any changes could be made to improve school response. With some distance comes the ability to see errors in plans, missteps in execution or even blind spots that were not covered in an actual crisis. Unfortunately, traumatic events happen in every community, and it is impossible to plan every step and execute perfectly, but when schools position themselves to let observations, testimonials and data drive crisis management plans, they will help improve responses.

Collecting data from all members of a crisis management team is equally important. Having meetings to discuss what each representative of a school community experienced can help prepare communities for improved outcomes when another crisis arises. Data collected may also reveal that schools need to adjust or pivot their responses to find better outcomes.

Final Thoughts
Being a school, department or even a team leader comes with a variety of unexpected challenges, but school events can be important milestones in helping communities recover from catastrophes. School athletics and activities bring out the best in students and unify entire communities. Although it can be difficult to pull a team together in times of stress, when members of a team come together to navigate difficult school and community challenges, they forge even stronger bonds that will help lead them to future success. When leaders embrace the challenge of unifying others, showing courage and model mental fortitude, they create an environment where both students and community will emulate the example and become stronger and more resilient.