Critical Event Resources and Services

Lee Carlson Center for Mental Health & Well-Being believes that it is important to provide support and immediate intervention for staff and students in the event of a critical incident. Oftentimes in a school building, the people who are most in need of support are called upon to support their peers following a tragedy. For examples, school counselors may be in the position of leading a grief support group for their co-workers while experiencing significant grief and shock themselves. A critical incident may be anything that requires staff, students, or families to need immediate support, such as the serious injury or death of a student or staff member.

We offer both preventative/preventative services as well as services following a critical event:

  • Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) trainings: We will come to your school and train staff in learning how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help.
  • Staff workshops (Talking to Students About a Tragedy): We come to your school and facilitate workshops for staff on how to talk to students and families in the event of a critical incident so they feel more prepared, comfortable, and confident in approaching these matters.
  • Crisis counseling: Students and staff can receive urgent individual support and/or assessment following a critical event.
  • Grief groups for staff and/or students: We provide support in a group setting following a critical event.
  • Check-ins and reflective conversations: We ensure that the needs of affected staff and students are being met two weeks, one month, or three months after a critical event and to identify any new needs that might have surfaced.
  • Daily check-in and check-out meetings: We will make sure that we are accurately assessing the level of need and responding with the appropriate services and addressing the quantity and timing of any other needed interventions.

Download the Lee Carlson Center – Critical Event Brochure