Recovery

Recovery is the process of assisting people with the physical, psychological and emotional trauma associated with experiencing tragic events.  Recovery is also utilizing a "Business Continuity Plan" or a "Continuity of Operations Plan" to return to normal operations as soon as possible.

Understanding “Critical Incidents”

The term “critical incident” is used to describe events that overwhelm an individual’s capacity to cope.  Traumatic events can cause psychological and emotional turmoil, cognitive problems and behavioral changes.

Immediate vs. Ongoing Recovery

It is essential to understand recovery at two distinct levels, immediate and ongoing.  Immediate support is needed from the first moments of a traumatic event through the first few days following it.  Frequently, recent victims of major trauma are in a state of shock, and at this time basic human needs of food, shelter and clothing are often a primary focus.  Long-term recovery needs may not be readily apparent, and for many, ongoing support will be needed.  Ongoing recovery refers to support provided to some individuals for weeks, months or years following a tragic event. 

Assessment, Crisis Intervention and Support

Children and their parents, faculty, staff and administrators, public safety personnel and the larger community are all impacted by tragic events and will benefit from immediate and ongoing support.  For some traumatic events the District Support Team may be adequate to provide immediate and ongoing recovery services.  Emergencies that affect a small number of people, or certain district-level emergencies may be well served by crisis counseling and recovery from other district employees, local community mental health providers, employee assistance programs and similar services. Often, this is a appropriate time to include members of  faith based organizations who have the appropriate training in this area.

For large-scale emergencies, however, services such as triage, assessment, outreach and crisis intervention are best delivered on a regional basis through a trained rapid response network.  For large-scale disasters, site-based personnel normally assigned these functions are now victims/survivors themselves.  The regional network of trained professionals provides a structured immediate first response system to support the district in need.  Site-based personnel will be called on to provide the ongoing support services once the immediate crisis has passed.  Their effectiveness will be strengthened if needed support is afforded to them during the early days of recovery.  Recognizing the impact of incident related stress on all school and district staff members while supporting outreach efforts will help insure “quality care”.

Recovery Section