Flight Team for Crisis Response

The Flight Team provides support for staff and students as they move through the initial phases of grief and understanding of a tragic event.  A Flight Team will be activated when a serious crisis occurs, such as a student or staff death. The Flight Team includes qualified people, in and out of the district, who will gather together to determine the level of assistance needed to support and can include the following:

• Building Administrators refer and inform the district Flight Team when a crisis arises within their building.  The flight team will convene to determine the level of response.
• The team supports the emotional and communication needs of the school building through the time of the initial crisis.
• Crisis management procedural support for building administration.
• Coping strategy information for building staff.
• Support Rooms for students and/or staff in crisis.
• Virtual support for students and/or staff in crisis.
• Monitoring and support for students/staff in need.
• Filling in for building staff so they can deal with the crisis.
• Facilitating community referrals and networking.
• Assisting with follow-up needs.

What is considered a crisis - 

A traumatic event that polarizes, isolates, or shocks people, which is beyond a building's capability to provide support for a positive learning environment, such as the death or serious injury of a student or staff member or a local catastrophic event.

What to expect - 

We will collaborate and provide support in various degrees depending on the severity of the situation. We recognize some situations will require less involvement of the affected building staff, given the need to focus on their own well-being.

Types of support -

Administrative support

• Procedural support for administration around crisis response.
• Attend and/or facilitate beginning and/or end-of-day staff meetings.
• Provide communication tools and liaison with community members and agencies.

Support Rooms

• Co-lead support room for students.
• Co-lead support room for staff.

Referrals & Resources

• Facilitate referrals to district counseling staff and/or community partners.
• Provide information about coping strategies.

After Crisis support

• Assisting with follow-up needs.