The California Association of Private School Organizations is the voice of K-12 private education in California. Its primary mission is to preserve the independence of California’s private schools and to uphold parental choice in education.
Emergency Management and Related Mental Health Resources
[Content directly from the Office of Non-Public Education]
Numerous federal agencies and organizations have resources to help in times of crisis. We encourage you to review these resources in the days ahead as school communities provide support to their students, teachers, and families and examine their own school safety plans.
The following resources are free and available for all school communities.
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Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth After the Recent Shooting
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Restoring a Sense of Safety in the Aftermath of a Shooting: Tips for Parents and Professionals
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National Association of School Psychologists: School Violence Prevention
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools maintains numerous resources to help schools plan for, respond to, and recover from emergency situations. Below is a list with links to help schools in this area.
National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) provides training and technical assistance to schools, school districts, and educational agencies to support efforts aimed at creating and nurturing safe and supportive learning environments. The national center addresses a wide variety of topics that impact school climate, ranging from bullying and violence prevention to tools for measuring and identifying needs for school climate. The center has Lessons from the Field Webinar Series that include five sessions on Preventing and Addressing School Violence including Gun Violence.
Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center is the nation’s higher ed and K-12 school safety, security, and emergency management and preparedness hub for information and services (e.g., guidance, training, tools, resources). The REMS TA Center serves K-12 schools and institutions of higher education, public and private, as well as their local, state, and federal partners with shared school safety responsibilities. They develop and maintain comprehensive, all-hazard, and high-quality campus and school Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs), including a fact sheet specifically developed for the unique needs of the private school community. These plans focus on continually protecting the whole school community before, during, and after possible emergencies. In addition to its free virtual trainings, the REMS TA Center offers numerous interactive tools such as its EOP Assist software, which helps generate customized plans and its SITE ASSESS app which facilitates the walk-through and safety inspection of campus and buildings.
National Center of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) supports schools, districts, and states to build systems capacity for implementing a multi-tiered approach to social, emotional, mental health, and behavior support. The broad purpose of PBIS is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of schools and other agencies to create positive, safe learning environments that support and respond to student needs. PBIS improves social, emotional, and academic outcomes for all students, including students with disabilities and students from underrepresented groups. The site provides considerations for schools resuming after a crisis.