School Crisis Intervention

“School safety and prevention practitioners face increasing challenges as they work to prevent and manage school crises. This guidebook blends decades of practical lessons learned with evidence-based best practices to support frontline professionals in making schools safer.”–Kenneth S. Trump, EdD, President, National School Safety and Security Services, Cleveland, Ohio “As a seasoned school administrator who has faced many critical incidents over the years, I have learned firsthand the importance of effective crisis intervention. What sets this book apart is its comprehensive yet practical approach. It combines evidence-based strategies with real-world applications, and features actionable protocols that can be implemented immediately. All school personnel will gain increased confidence in their ability to respond effectively to crises, a clearer understanding of their roles during such events, and improved skills in supporting affected students and staff. School Crisis Intervention is more than just a book–it’s an indispensable toolkit for creating safer, more responsive school environments.”–Micah Hill, MEd, Superintendent, Missoula County Public Schools, Montana “Poland and Ferguson have developed an invaluable resource that will inform and strengthen school-based crisis intervention for years to come. This book provides the perfect mix of best-practice guidance, real-life scenarios, expert reflection, ready-to-use forms, and links to additional resources. I cannot wait to include this book as part of the behavioral threat assessment and management, suicide risk assessment, and crisis response and recovery courses we teach in Southwest Iowa.”–Jane King, EdS, School Psychologist and Crisis Response Co-Lead, Green Hills Area Education Agency, Council Bluffs, Iowa “Poland and Ferguson not only provide wisdom from their own specialized training and firsthand experiences, but also interweave the voices of other expert practitioners from across the nation. User-friendly checklists, worksheets, tables, and resources deliver hands-on preparedness beyond the basics for those working in an ever-changing school climate.”–Traci D. Schluter, PhD, district-level director of psychological services, Texas “This book offers important information about how to respond to a wide range of crisis events in schools. From suicide to threat assessment, Poland and Ferguson share relevant, timely advice. Infused with the voices of educators and leaders in school crisis response, this is a valuable resource for educators, school leaders, and school mental health professionals who serve on crisis teams in schools.”–Katie Eklund, PhD, NCSP, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison “This book delivers a considerable depth of content and pragmatic guidance for today’s school safety and mental health practitioners. Poland and Ferguson draw on their extensive experience to illustrate key concepts and offer engaging, relatable examples of how theories play out in practice. Whether used as a manual for day-to-day reference or as part of a broader professional development program, this book is poised to make a significant impact on the field of school crisis intervention.”–Michele Gay, MEd, Executive Director and Co-founder, Safe and Sound Schools; Sandy Hook parent and national school safety advocate-

“Poland and Ferguson have developed an invaluable resource that will inform and strengthen school-based crisis intervention for years to come. This book provides the perfect mix of best-practice guidance, real-life scenarios, expert reflection, ready-to-use forms, and links to additional resources. I cannot wait to include this book as part of the behavioral threat assessment and management, suicide risk assessment, and crisis response and recovery courses we teach in Southwest Iowa.”–Jane King, EdS, School Psychologist and Crisis Response Co-Lead, Green Hills Area Education Agency, Council Bluffs, Iowa “This book delivers a considerable depth of content and pragmatic guidance for today’s school safety and mental health practitioners. Poland and Ferguson draw on their extensive experience to illustrate key concepts and offer engaging, relatable examples of how theories play out in practice. Whether used as a manual for day-to-day reference or as part of a broader professional development program, this book is poised to make a significant impact on the field of school crisis intervention.”–Michele Gay, MEd, Executive Director and Cofounder, Safe and Sound Schools; Sandy Hook parent and national school safety advocate “This book offers important information about how to respond to a wide range of crisis events in schools. From suicide to threat assessment, Poland and Ferguson share relevant, timely advice. Infused with the voices of educators and leaders in school crisis response, this is a valuable resource for educators, school leaders, and school mental health professionals who serve on crisis teams in schools.”–Katie Eklund, PhD, NCSP, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison “As a seasoned school administrator who has faced many critical incidents over the years, I have learned firsthand the importance of effective crisis intervention. What sets this book apart is its comprehensive yet practical approach. It combines evidence-based strategies with real-world applications, and features actionable protocols that can be implemented immediately. All school personnel will gain increased confidence in their ability to respond effectively to crises, a clearer understanding of their roles during such events, and improved skills in supporting affected students and staff. School Crisis Intervention is more than just a book–it’s an indispensable toolkit for creating safer, more responsive school environments.”–Micah Hill, MEd, Superintendent, Missoula County Public Schools, Montana “Poland and Ferguson not only provide wisdom from their own specialized training and firsthand experiences, but also interweave the voices of other expert practitioners from across the nation. User-friendly checklists, worksheets, tables, and resources deliver hands-on preparedness beyond the basics for those working in an ever-changing school climate.”–Traci D. Schluter, PhD, district-level director of psychological services, Texas “School safety and prevention practitioners face increasing challenges as they work to prevent and manage school crises. This guidebook blends decades of practical lessons learned with evidence-based best practices to support frontline professionals in making schools safer.”–Kenneth S. Trump, EdD, President, National School Safety and Security Services, Cleveland, Ohio-

Scott Poland, EdD, is Professor in the College of Psychology and Director of the Suicide and Violence Prevention Office at Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Poland has served as president of National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and was the first chairperson of the NASP National Emergency Assistance Team, serving for 14 years. He is a nationally recognized expert on school crisis, youth violence, suicide intervention, school safety, threat assessment, and the delivery of psychological services in schools. Dr. Poland has personally responded to or consulted after hundreds of school crises and has led over 1,000 workshops worldwide. He has published numerous articles, book chapters, and books on crisis intervention.

Sara Ferguson, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist who provides psychotherapy and psychological assessment services to at-risk youth in a South Florida private practice. Dr. Ferguson leads suicide and violence prevention training workshops in school settings and has extensive clinical experience working with at-risk youth. She has also worked in trauma-specific clinics, providing individual psychotherapy services for individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder. Dr. Ferguson has coauthored a number of research publications on such topics as youth suicide and violence prevention, juvenile offending, school shootings, and the neuropsychology of crime.