Fostering community and care at a time of crisis on college campuses
A PRESENTATION BY
OHIO UNIVERSITY’SPOST CRISIS
RESPONSE TEAM (PCRT)
OCPA/OASPA ConferenceColumbus, Ohio
January 30, 2009
PRESENTERS
Sheila Y. Williams Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Counseling and Psychological Services
Paul Castelino Psychologist, Counseling and
Psychological Services
Jill Harris Emergency Services Coordinator,
Environmental Health
Ryan Lombardi Dean, Dean of Students Office
Why Team?
Crises• occur on all campuses• vary in nature• require different responses• affected entities may be neglected in
aftermath
Case Examplefaculty/student off campus incident
Incident Faculty member murdered by son Son a graduate student Faculty member well liked Department shocked needed response
– Eventually contacted EAP program– EAP contacted local provider - didn’t think he should take
money for providing service– Went as courtesy provider from counseling center– Depth of gratitude pointed to need for coordinated campus
response– Recognized no offer of assistance provided to son’s
department
Forming a Team Invite persons/departments possibly needed post-crisis Proposed roster:
– Campus Safety- OUPD– Environmental Health– Human Resources– Dean of Students– Counseling & Psych. Services– Legal Affairs– Provost’s Office– Institutional Equity– Ombuds Office
Tell me again Why PCRT?
Response to students’ needs during and after crises was addressed by Dean of Students’ Office
What was lacking was coordination of response to general campus needs --post crises
Initial Tasks
Explore how we differ from CERT team
Identify and recognize the likelihood of a particular need
Identify and prepare strategies and needed resources
Decide on most appropriate offices to be involved continuously
Evolving Tasks
Create policies / protocol to respond to variety of needse.g. phone tree
Coordinate the post-crisis response
Tailor responses to meet the diverse needs post crisise.g. process interventions for survivor(s) following death -
appropriate and helpful strategies for parental engagement
Be the responders in certain situations
Identify resources beyond the campus community
Ongoing Tasks
Information communicated about the event
Brainstorm most supportive responseProvide access to supportProvide safe environmentMonitor individuals/group affectedPlan attendance at memorial servicesCoordinate services to familiesReview response
OU Post Crisis Response Team Call Tree
OU Case Examples
Situation #1: An employee after work hours collapses during recreational activity.
Coordinated Outreach:To direct supervisor, who initially refused help
but after thinking about it accepted counseling services
To the student who witnessed the incidentTo family members through IMPACT – EAP
program
OU Case Examples
Situation #2: Off-campus house fire during Halloween weekend.
Outreach:Counseling personnel were able to be on scene
quicklyStudent Affairs personnel were able to arrange
essential needsEHS personnel coordinated with fire/police
personnel
OU Case Examples
Situation #3: On-campus incident during winter break demonstrated need for additional work
Outreach:Difficult to coordinate over break due to
lack of planning to accommodate reduced availability of resources
Counseling services offered
Lessons Learned
Clarification of role (crisis vs. post crisis)
Communication flexibilityConstituent need/benefit to singular
point of contactUnderstanding of scope of impactInstitutional support
Lessons Learned, con’t
Budgetary implications– Discretionary spending– Spending authorization– Emergency fund
Internal support network
