Listen, Protect, Connect Model
Page 16
Page 1
Listen, Protect,
Connect –
Model & Teach
PSYCHOLOGICAL
FIRST AID (PFA) FOR
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
Helping you help your students
in times of disaster, school
crises, or emergencies.
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 2
Page 15
For More Information
As a teacher, you are in an
excellent position to help your
Please visit www.ready.gov
students after a disaster, school
Ready is a national public service advertising campaign
produced by The Advertising Council in partnership with U.S.
crisis, or emergency.
Department of Homeland Security. The Ready
Campaign is designed to educate and empower Americans to
prepare for and respond to emergencies, including
natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks
and
www.cincinnatichildrens.org/school-crisis
The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.
For more information on
Listen, Protect, Connect —
Model and Teach
contact Dr. Merritt Schreiber at m.schreiber@ucla.edu.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the support of the fol owing
Just as you help connect students with
centers at the University of California Los
Angeles, School of Public Health:
appropriate academic and counseling
Center for Public Health and
Disasters and Health and Media
services under normal circumstances,
Research Group. The authors also
you are in an excel ent position to help
t h a n k
Crisis Counseling &
Intervention Services of the Los
your students return to school, stay in
Angeles Unified School District.
school, continue to learn, and return to
their usual school-based activities after
“Listen, Protect, and Connect — Model & Teach”
such an event.
Psychological First Aid for Children
© 2006 M. Schreiber, R. Gurwitch. M. Wong.
Al rights reserved.
copy editor/designer: Rachel C. Flores
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 14
Page 3
It is okay for you to seek
professional help for yourself:
When you have feelings of being overwhelmed
You can help your students if you
or overly stressed that don’t go away over
time.
When you are not sure about how to handle a
situation with a student or a family member.
Listen,
Protect,
Over time,
Connect –
you,
Model & Teach
your students,
their families,
your classroom,
the steps of PSYCHOLOGICAL
FIRST AID for your students after
can EXPECT RECOVERY.
a disaster, school crisis, or
emergency.
These steps can help them
bounce back more quickly.
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 4
Page 13
Getting Started:
Listen, Protect,
Understanding the
Connect –
Effect of a Disaster, School
Model & 5. Teach
Crisis, or Emergency
Talk to your students about expected reactions
after a crisis (emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and
THINK ABOUT your students’
physiological). There are “normal” reactions to
“DIRECT EXPERIENCE” with the
abnormal events.
event.
Different people may have very different reactions,
even within the same family. After the event, people
“Direct experience” means a FIRST-HAND
may also have different amounts of time they need
EXPERIENCE of the event (physically
to cope and adjust.
experiencing or directly seeing it as it happens).
Encourage your students to identify and use positive
After the event, changes can happen in
coping strategies to help them after the event.
students’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Help your students problem-solve to get through
Your students may worry about family members,
each day successful y.
classmates, friends, or pets they care about, and
Help your students set small “doable” goals and
may worry that it wil happen again.
share in these achievements as “wins” for the
students and your classroom.
Common reactions to disasters, school
crises and emergencies include trouble sleeping,
Remind students that
problems at school and with friends, trouble
with time and
concentrating and listening, and not finishing work
assistance, things
or assignments. Your students may become more
generally get better.
irritable, sad, angry, or worried as they think about
If they don’t, they
what has happened, and as they experience
should let a parent or
recovery efforts after the event.
teacher know.
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 12
Page 5
Listen, Protect,
When students share their
Connect –
experiences, thoughts and feelings
4. Model & Teach
about the event, LISTEN for
RISK FACTORS for adverse reactions.
As you help your students after a disaster,
Risk factors that may indicate a counseling referral is
crisis, or emergency, your efforts may be
needed for students include:
more successful – and you may be less
loss of a family member, schoolmate, or friend
stressed – if you keep in mind:
observing serious injury or the death of another person
It is good to be aware of your thoughts,
family members or friends missing after the event
feelings, and reactions about the event, which
getting hurt or becoming sick due to the event
can be seen and can affect your students.
home loss, family moves, changes in neighborhoods,
changes in schools, and/or loss of belongings
being unable to evacuate quickly
past traumatic experiences or losses
pet loss
If a student has had any of these experiences,
you may wish to consider referring her or him to your
school psychologist, counselor, or social worker.
How you cope and behave after an event wil
influence how your students cope and behave.
Your students wil be watching you for both
Now that you know what can
verbal and nonverbal cues.
affect your students after a disaster,
Monitor conversations that students may hear.
school crisis, or emergency, you’re ready to
Acknowledge the difficulty of the situation, but
LISTEN, PROTECT, CONNECT –
demonstrate how people can come together
MODEL & TEACH!
to cope after such an event.
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 6
Page 11
1. Listen,
Encourage student activities with friends,
Protect,
including class projects and extracurricular
Connect –
activities.
Model & Teach
Empathize with your students by allowing a little
more time for them to learn new materials.
Build on your students’ strengths. Find ways to
The first important step to help your
help them use what they have learned in the past
students after an event is to listen and
to help them deal with the event.
pay attention to what they say and how
they act. Remember that your students
Remind your students that major disasters,
may also show their feelings in nonverbal
crises, and emergencies are rare, and discuss
ways, like increased behavioral problems
other times they have felt safe.
or increased withdrawal.
List programs and activities that connect
Let your students know you are
you and your students with the community.
wil ing to listen and talk about the event,
Share your list with other teachers to create a
or to make referrals to talk to an
larger list of activities and resources.
appropriate professional, if they prefer it.
Use the fol owing questions to talk with
your students. You can listen for clues
that indicate when students are
having a hard time. Write down a
few examples that may be helpful to
note:
1. What might be preventing a student
from coming to or staying in school?
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 10
Page 7
Listen, Protect,
2. What might be preventing a student from
paying attention in class or doing homework?
3. Connect –
Model & Teach
Reaching out to
3. What might be preventing a student from
people
in
your
returning to other school-based activities?
s c h o o l
a n d
community
will
help your students
after a disaster,
school crisis, or
emergency. These
connections will build
strength for everyone. Consider ways to
make some or all of the following
connections:
“Check in” with students on a regular basis.
Find resources that can offer support to
your students and classroom.
Listen, observe, and note any changes in:
Keep communication open with others
behavior and/or mood
involved in your students’ lives (parents,
other teachers, coaches, etc.).
school performance
Restore interactive school activities,
interactions with schoolmates and teachers
including sports, club meetings, student-
participation in school-based activities
serviced projects, and student government.
behaviors at home that parents discuss with you
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 8
Page 9
Maintain daily routines, activities, and structure
Listen, 2. Protect,
with clear expectations, consistent rules, and
Connect –
immediate feedback; limit unnecessary changes.
Model & Teach
Make adjustments to assignments to be
sensitive to students’ current level of
functioning.
You can help make your students feel
Limit access to live television and the Internet
better by doing some or all of the following:
that show disturbing scenes of the event.
Remember, what’s not upsetting to you and
other adults may upset and confuse your
students, and vice versa.
Encourage students to “take a break” from the
crisis focus with activities unrelated to the event.
Find ways for your students to feel helpful to
your classroom, the school, and the community.
Answer questions simply and honestly,
clearing up confusion students may have
about what happened.
List other things you do that help your
students feel better. Sharing lists with other
Let your students know that they are not
teachers may increase ideas to help your
alone in their reactions to the event.
students.
Provide opportunities for your students to
talk, draw, and play, but don’t force it.
Talk to your students about what is being
done by the school and community to keep
everyone safe from harm.
Watch for anything in the environment that
could re-traumatize your students.
Keep your eyes and ears open for bullying
behaviors.
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 8
Page 9
Maintain daily routines, activities, and structure
Listen, 2. Protect,
with clear expectations, consistent rules, and
Connect –
immediate feedback; limit unnecessary changes.
Model & Teach
Make adjustments to assignments to be
sensitive to students’ current level of
functioning.
You can help make your students feel
Limit access to live television and the Internet
better by doing some or all of the following:
that show disturbing scenes of the event.
Remember, what’s not upsetting to you and
other adults may upset and confuse your
students, and vice versa.
Encourage students to “take a break” from the
crisis focus with activities unrelated to the event.
Find ways for your students to feel helpful to
your classroom, the school, and the community.
Answer questions simply and honestly,
clearing up confusion students may have
about what happened.
List other things you do that help your
students feel better. Sharing lists with other
Let your students know that they are not
teachers may increase ideas to help your
alone in their reactions to the event.
students.
Provide opportunities for your students to
talk, draw, and play, but don’t force it.
Talk to your students about what is being
done by the school and community to keep
everyone safe from harm.
Watch for anything in the environment that
could re-traumatize your students.
Keep your eyes and ears open for bullying
behaviors.
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 10
Page 7
Listen, Protect,
2. What might be preventing a student from
paying attention in class or doing homework?
3. Connect –
Model & Teach
Reaching out to
3. What might be preventing a student from
people
in
your
returning to other school-based activities?
s c h o o l
a n d
community
will
help your students
after a disaster,
school crisis, or
emergency. These
connections will build
strength for everyone. Consider ways to
make some or all of the following
connections:
“Check in” with students on a regular basis.
Find resources that can offer support to
your students and classroom.
Listen, observe, and note any changes in:
Keep communication open with others
behavior and/or mood
involved in your students’ lives (parents,
other teachers, coaches, etc.).
school performance
Restore interactive school activities,
interactions with schoolmates and teachers
including sports, club meetings, student-
participation in school-based activities
serviced projects, and student government.
behaviors at home that parents discuss with you
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 6
Page 11
1. Listen,
Encourage student activities with friends,
Protect,
including class projects and extracurricular
Connect –
activities.
Model & Teach
Empathize with your students by allowing a little
more time for them to learn new materials.
Build on your students’ strengths. Find ways to
The first important step to help your
help them use what they have learned in the past
students after an event is to listen and
to help them deal with the event.
pay attention to what they say and how
they act. Remember that your students
Remind your students that major disasters,
may also show their feelings in nonverbal
crises, and emergencies are rare, and discuss
ways, like increased behavioral problems
other times they have felt safe.
or increased withdrawal.
List programs and activities that connect
Let your students know you are
you and your students with the community.
wil ing to listen and talk about the event,
Share your list with other teachers to create a
or to make referrals to talk to an
larger list of activities and resources.
appropriate professional, if they prefer it.
Use the fol owing questions to talk with
your students. You can listen for clues
that indicate when students are
having a hard time. Write down a
few examples that may be helpful to
note:
1. What might be preventing a student
from coming to or staying in school?
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 12
Page 5
Listen, Protect,
When students share their
Connect –
experiences, thoughts and feelings
4. Model & Teach
about the event, LISTEN for
RISK FACTORS for adverse reactions.
As you help your students after a disaster,
Risk factors that may indicate a counseling referral is
crisis, or emergency, your efforts may be
needed for students include:
more successful – and you may be less
loss of a family member, schoolmate, or friend
stressed – if you keep in mind:
observing serious injury or the death of another person
It is good to be aware of your thoughts,
family members or friends missing after the event
feelings, and reactions about the event, which
getting hurt or becoming sick due to the event
can be seen and can affect your students.
home loss, family moves, changes in neighborhoods,
changes in schools, and/or loss of belongings
being unable to evacuate quickly
past traumatic experiences or losses
pet loss
If a student has had any of these experiences,
you may wish to consider referring her or him to your
school psychologist, counselor, or social worker.
How you cope and behave after an event wil
influence how your students cope and behave.
Your students wil be watching you for both
Now that you know what can
verbal and nonverbal cues.
affect your students after a disaster,
Monitor conversations that students may hear.
school crisis, or emergency, you’re ready to
Acknowledge the difficulty of the situation, but
LISTEN, PROTECT, CONNECT –
demonstrate how people can come together
MODEL & TEACH!
to cope after such an event.
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 4
Page 13
Getting Started:
Listen, Protect,
Understanding the
Connect –
Effect of a Disaster, School
Model & 5. Teach
Crisis, or Emergency
Talk to your students about expected reactions
after a crisis (emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and
THINK ABOUT your students’
physiological). There are “normal” reactions to
“DIRECT EXPERIENCE” with the
abnormal events.
event.
Different people may have very different reactions,
even within the same family. After the event, people
“Direct experience” means a FIRST-HAND
may also have different amounts of time they need
EXPERIENCE of the event (physically
to cope and adjust.
experiencing or directly seeing it as it happens).
Encourage your students to identify and use positive
After the event, changes can happen in
coping strategies to help them after the event.
students’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Help your students problem-solve to get through
Your students may worry about family members,
each day successful y.
classmates, friends, or pets they care about, and
Help your students set small “doable” goals and
may worry that it wil happen again.
share in these achievements as “wins” for the
students and your classroom.
Common reactions to disasters, school
crises and emergencies include trouble sleeping,
Remind students that
problems at school and with friends, trouble
with time and
concentrating and listening, and not finishing work
assistance, things
or assignments. Your students may become more
generally get better.
irritable, sad, angry, or worried as they think about
If they don’t, they
what has happened, and as they experience
should let a parent or
recovery efforts after the event.
teacher know.
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 14
Page 3
It is okay for you to seek
professional help for yourself:
When you have feelings of being overwhelmed
You can help your students if you
or overly stressed that don’t go away over
time.
When you are not sure about how to handle a
situation with a student or a family member.
Listen,
Protect,
Over time,
Connect –
you,
Model & Teach
your students,
their families,
your classroom,
the steps of PSYCHOLOGICAL
FIRST AID for your students after
can EXPECT RECOVERY.
a disaster, school crisis, or
emergency.
These steps can help them
bounce back more quickly.
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 2
Page 15
For More Information
As a teacher, you are in an
excellent position to help your
Please visit www.ready.gov
students after a disaster, school
Ready is a national public service advertising campaign
produced by The Advertising Council in partnership with U.S.
crisis, or emergency.
Department of Homeland Security. The Ready
Campaign is designed to educate and empower Americans to
prepare for and respond to emergencies, including
natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks
and
www.cincinnatichildrens.org/school-crisis
The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.
For more information on
Listen, Protect, Connect —
Model and Teach
contact Dr. Merritt Schreiber at m.schreiber@ucla.edu.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the support of the fol owing
Just as you help connect students with
centers at the University of California Los
Angeles, School of Public Health:
appropriate academic and counseling
Center for Public Health and
Disasters and Health and Media
services under normal circumstances,
Research Group. The authors also
you are in an excel ent position to help
t h a n k
Crisis Counseling &
Intervention Services of the Los
your students return to school, stay in
Angeles Unified School District.
school, continue to learn, and return to
their usual school-based activities after
“Listen, Protect, and Connect — Model & Teach”
such an event.
Psychological First Aid for Children
© 2006 M. Schreiber, R. Gurwitch. M. Wong.
Al rights reserved.
copy editor/designer: Rachel C. Flores
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
Page 16
Page 1
Listen, Protect,
Connect –
Model & Teach
PSYCHOLOGICAL
FIRST AID (PFA) FOR
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
Helping you help your students
in times of disaster, school
crises, or emergencies.
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
For more information, please visit www.ready.gov
