Emergency Response Plan
Muskingum Valley ESC
Psychological Services
CRISIS RESPONSE DOCUMENT
GUIDELINES FOR CLASSROOM DISCUSSION
GUIDELINES FOR CLASSROOM DISCUSSION
A. Each first period or homeroom instructor should inform students of the death,
using the outline provided by the administration. If they are unable to do so, or
are absent, assistance should be given by support personnel. The instructor
should share basic facts to dispel rumors, but do not dwell on details.
B. The instructor should share his/her own feelings of loss and grief, but not in
any way convey the message that suicide is admirable or a viable way of
dealing with problems.
C. Students should then be encouraged to share their feelings with each other and
the instructor in an open-ended way for about 20-30 minutes.
D. As much as possible, the instructor should facilitate the students in exploring
better solutions to life’s problems.
E. The instructor will then acknowledge that some students and friends may feel
overwhelmed by the news and should come talk to him/her personally. The
instructor can determine the need to send them to counselors located within the
building.
F. Excused student should be sent to a specified location. A hallway
pass/monitor or “buddy” system should be in place for exiting students.
G. It is usually best for some degree of semblance of normalcy occur during the
period.
Examples of Questions to ask/discuss with Distraught Student
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What happened that caused this crisis?
How are you trying to solve this crisis? Is it working?
How were you functioning before this crisis?
Has anything like this happened before?
How effectively or ineffectively was it handled?
What was the outcome?
How have you handled other similar situations?
What worked?
What did not work?
What are your environmental supports? (family, church, friends)
Is this chronic or an acute situation
What is the most important problem to work on right now?