Critical Incident Manual - Ministry of Education

Guidelines for Developing a Critical Incident Management Plan for a Safe School EnvironmentRegional Trauma Response TeamSchools can call upon the Regional Trauma Response Team in time of crisis. This team willrespond within 24 hours of the incident and will assist by:• Providing stress debriefing.• Facilitating the grief process for those affected.• Providing media briefing if necessary.• Providing follow-up support and school visits.• Supporting and giving advice to parents.• Assisting in the restoration of normalcy.• Providing post-trauma counselling for those involved.• Following-up on the writing of reports and the evaluation of the response to theincident.Debriefing and CounsellingIt will be necessary to provide emergency debriefing and counselling for both staff andstudents. This should be an integral part of the management plan. The process of debriefingshould help members to understand the critical incident and its implications and to managethe information in order to help the school return to normality. The Regional EducationOffice’s trauma response team works in collaboration with the school’s critical incidentmanagement team in conducting these sessions. The exercise should enable individuals toprocess the incident and manage their own reactions.Those individuals in need of further counselling should be identified and strategies put inplace to facilitate this in the shortest possible time. Access to qualified personnel is integralto the success of this support during the post-traumatic period and will determine the level ofimpact the incident will have on the school community. It is necessary that the school has anunderstanding of:• How different incidents affect individuals and the school community.• Different types of trauma and how to minimise their effect.• The best ways to provide support to those in need.• Self-management strategies that will facilitate recovery.Ministry of Education 2007 / 36