Toolkit with Report Form - Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic ...

ABOUT THIS TOOLKIT
Operating in crisis mode may seem like just another day at your program.
You’re short-staffed, underfunded, overwhelmed by requests for help, and
struggling to keep your doors open.
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However, there may be times when something
“out of the ordinary” – a homicide, suicide,
natural death, accident or fire – happens
without warning and you’re faced with a
situation that could disrupt services, distress
staff and shelter residents, and attract
unwanted media and public interest.
Despite the unpredictability of a crisis, your
program’s response can be planned. PCADV
developed this toolkit to help your program
navigate the complexities and minimize the
repercussions when a crisis strikes.
The content for the toolkit is based, in part,
on a number of programs’ prior experiences
handling critical incidents. While we have
omitted identifying program information and
details, we have included the lessons learned
and recommendations that you can implement
when a situation warrants a crisis response.
The toolkit breaks down critical incidents into
two tiers to help you determine the need for a
state-level response and what responses can
be put into action.
Definitions
◗ Tier One Incidents – major incidents,
such as domestic violence fatalities, near
fatalities, or natural deaths of shelter
residents; requires immediate notification
to PCADV and submission of Domestic
Violence Critical Incident Response and
Management Report Form
◗ Tier Two Incidents – other incidents,
such as fires, floods, bed bugs, no heat
in shelter, that disrupt your program’s
continuity of services and may attract
unwanted media attention; requires
submission of Domestic Violence Critical
Incident Response and Management
Report Form
Note: These examples are not meant to
limit what constitutes a critical incident
or warrants a crisis response for your
program. You’ll know best when
an incident, whatever it may be, is
escalating into a crisis.
We encourage you to use this toolkit as the
foundation for creating a customized crisis
management plan for your program. Put it
in place before you ever need it and, when
an incident occurs, you should be able to get
out in front of the crisis, maintain operations
with minimal disruption, protect confidentiality,
control public messages, and contain fallout.
CONTACT PCADV
During business hours (8:30 am - 4:30 pm):
– Call 800-932-4632
– Press 0
– Ask the receptionist to refer you to
someone on the Crisis Response
Technical Assistance Team.
After hours:
– Call Judy Yupcavage,
Director of Communications,
via cell 717-514-3416
When Crisis Strikes | Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence | 2012
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