Trauma in Schools and Communities

Book excerpt: Trauma in Schools and Communities uses the power of first-hand, autobiographical narratives to illustrate the advantages and pitfalls of specific interventions implemented in the wake of tragedies. This book addresses short- and long-term impacts of traumatic events and the challenges both survivors and responders face, using case studies from the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing; the Gulf War; the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; student suicides; the killing of a teacher; and the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, Virginia Tech, and Chardon, Ohio, among others. Each story features reactions and lessons that are unique and support specific, multidisciplinary, structured interventions that should be a part of every crisis team’s protocol and every community’s recovery effort. An appendix features a summary of the lessons learned, a "what if?" scenario, time-specific trauma recovery interventions, a fan-out meeting agenda, a traumatic event crisis intervention plan, and answers to questions commonly asked by students about suicide.