The Flight Team is a resource of specially trained responders available to assist schools and provide support to students during traumatic situations. Using district guidelines, the Team's goal is to help mitigate the impact of an event, plan for and implement recovery from traumatic situations as quickly as possible, and to monitor those students who may need additional support or counseling.
During a school crisis, district staff are often stretched just to handle the logistics and inquiries associated with an incident or event. With the support of trained Flight Team partners from other districts, home district personnel can more effectively and efficiently deal with all aspects of school operations. In addition, those outside the situation are able to offer an objective perspective on what is happening and, thereby, help school leaders anticipate logical next steps.
All Flight Team members work closely with the lead administrator in a district to help return the school climate to normal as quickly as possible. At the conclusion of each day the on-site team conducts a debrief session with the home school leaders to determine whether additional assistance will be required.
The Lancaster-Lebanon Flight Team is made up of trained teachers, counselors, and administrators who are willing to render aid in response to a school crisis. The Flight Team does not take over responsibility for the response, but rather, lends support, guidance, and suggestions based on their training and expertise. The death of a student or staff member is the most common situation prompting a request for Flight Team assistance; however, other kinds of traumatic incidents are also appropriate.
Specific Functions of the Flight Team:
- Assist building administration in crisis management procedures
- Provide information to staff on coping strategies
- Provide safe rooms for students in crisis
- Monitor and counsel students in need
- Fill in for counseling/guidance staff so they can deal with the crisis
- Work closely with the administration and school counselor to identify individuals that could benefit from further follow-up
Flight Team trainings/meetings are held four times during the school year.
Crisis 101 training, for staff who have not had previous training with Cheri Lovre and/or the STAR Center, will be conducted during the 2009/2010 school year. These trainings use real life scenarios to help participants learn how to select the most appropriate interventions during a crisis. Participants strengthen their clinical awareness of the impact of trauma and grief on both the individual and the school system. Training sessions emphasize how unresolved trauma and unprocessed grief has a potentially life long impact on the mental health and well being of students and faculty. Using a preventative approach, the the sessions are strength-based and focus on resiliency during a time of crisis.
For more information, please call 717-606-1626 or humanresources@iu13.org.