Webinar: Best Practices for Crisis Response in Schools

THE PRESENTATION
To establish and maintain a safe and supportive school environment, schools must plan and prepare for crisis events that can have a negative impact on students and staff. This work begins before, continues during, and extends beyond the crisis event to address the response and recovery needs of the school. By focusing on comprehensive planning and preparation schools can utilize teams to prevent a variety of hazards and threats but also effectively respond to potential traumatic impacts on students and staff. This presentation will discuss the key elements of a safe and supportive school and best practices in crisis response to assist in recovery.

THE PRESENTER
Benjamin S. Fernandez, MS. Ed. serves as a lead school psychologist in Northern Virginia and is a member of the National Association of School Psychologist’s (NASP) School Safety and Crisis Response Committee.  He provides leadership and an array of psychological and school-based mental health services, is a crisis team leader, a PREPaRE master trainer, and coordinates crisis intervention services for his district. For NASP, he has conducted presentations and contributed on topics related to youth suicide, PREPaRE, and school safety and crisis. Benjamin was honored by being named School Psychologist of the Year by the Virginia Academy of School Psychologists and NASP.