This is Not a Fire Drill: Crisis Intervention and Prevention on College Campuses

371 Pages·2011·2.81 MB·English

by  Rick A. Myer, Richard K. James, Patrice Moulton(auth.)

This Is NOT a Fire Drill
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This Is NOT a Fire Drill
Crisis Intervention and Prevention
on College Campuses
Rick A. Myer
Richard K. James
Patrice Moulton
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
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This book is printed on acid-free paper. (cid:2)
Copyright © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Myer, Rick.
This is not a firedrill : crisis intervention and prevention on college campuses / Rick A. Myer, Richard K. James,
Patrice Moulton.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 978-0-470-45804-4 (pbk. : acid-free paper)
ISBN 978-0-470-92677-2 (ebk)
ISBN 978-0-470-92678-9 (ebk)
ISBN 978-0-470-92679-6 (ebk)
1. Universities and colleges—United States—Administration. 2. Crisis management—United
States. 3. Crisis intervention (Mental health services)—United States. 4. Traumatic shock. I. James,
Richard K., 1942– II. Moulton, Patrice, 1961– III. Title.
LB2866.M94 2011
378.1’9713–dc22
2010036019
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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No matter how many plans are developed and steps taken to prevent crises, they will
happen. Crises can be small or large, modest or intense, yet all send waves throughout a
campus.
Th is book is dedicated to the survivors of the many crises that have occurred on university
and college campuses. Making meaning out of a situation in which you have little to no
control, and most of the time no warning, is challenging to say the least. We respectfully
acknowledge the struggle you’ve gone through.
We also dedicate this book to the countless people who have provided support following
disasters on university campuses. Being with survivors following a disastrous event and
helping them start the healing process requires courage and fortitude. We salute your
willingness to give of yourself.
Finally, we dedicate this book to the people charged with the coordination of the recovery of
a campus following a tragic event. Administrators and crisis management teams are faced
with the unenviable task of making sense out of chaos. Your eff orts may go unnoticed and
be criticized by some, but not by us. Our hats are off to you.
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Contents
Acknowledgments xi
1 ◆ . . . Or a Tornado or Earthquake Drill 1
A Brief History of Crisis Intervention 4
History of Crisis on College Campuses 6
Th e Contemporary College Scene 9
Summary 13
References 13
2 ◆ Boilerplate: Th e Basics of Crisis Intervention 15
Transcrisis States 18
Universality and Idiosyncrasy 22
Th eories of Crisis and Crisis Intervention 23
Applied Crisis Domains 31
Crisis Intervention Models 32
Universal Versus a Focused View of Diversity/Multiculturalism 36
Culturally Biased Assumptions 37
Th e Environment’s Impact on Cultural Development 38
Culturally Eff ective Helping 43
Summary 44
References 44
3 ◆ Herding Cats: Organizing a Crisis Response 49
Crisis Planning Primer: Common Terms 49
Current State of Crisis Management Planning in Higher Education 56
Building Blocks for Crisis Management Plans 63
Th ree Cs of Crisis Management Planning 71
vii
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viii CONTENTS
Summary 77
References 78
4 ◆ Duller Th an Dirt . . . More Valuable Th an Gold: Policies and Procedures 81
Policy Development 82
Drafting Policy 86
Review of Policy Drafts 91
Basic Risk Management Recommendations 98
Summary 100
References 101
Appendix: Sample Th reats Policy 103
5 ◆ Th e Best of Times and the Worst of Times: Th e Tale of Two Laws 105
Tarasoff and Its Impact on Policy 105
Virginia Tech Inspector General Report: Going Beyond Tarasoff 107
Virginia Tech Counseling Center Actions Taken 108
Virginia Tech Follow-Up System 120
Summary 122
References 123
6 ◆ Reality Check: Entry into the System 125
Consulting 126
Practice 129
Case Study: Central University 134
Summary 135
References 135
Appendix: Case Study: Crisis at Central University 137
7 ◆ What You See Is What You Get . . . or Maybe Not: Assessment of the
System 141
Chronosystem System 142
Organizational Factors Aff ected by a Crisis 179
Timeline for Assessment 188
Assessment Procedures 191
Methods for Assessment 193
Summary 199
References 199
8 ◆ No Rest for the Weary: System Recovery After a Crisis 203
Eight-Step Model for Organizations 203
Using the Eight-Step Model 217
Nine Intervention Strategies 222
Summary 230
References 230
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Contents ix
9 ◆ Not Buying a Pig in a Poke 233
Understanding Th reats 234
Triage Assessment Scale for Students in Learning Environments
(TASSLE) 239
Th reat Assessment Teams 251
Summary 267
References 268
10 ◆ Basic Training 271
Th e Eight-Step Model of Crisis Intervention in College Environments
(Individuals) 271
Moving on the Directive, Collaborative, Nondirective Continuum 279
Tools of the Trade 281
Don’ts 290
Basic Strategies of Crisis Intervention 293
Listening and Responding in Crisis Intervention 299
Facilitative Listening in Crisis Intervention 299
Acting in Crisis Intervention: Staying Safe 306
Stages of Intervention 310
Rules of the Road 317
Summary 320
References 321
11 ◆ One Day at a Time: Survivorship in the Aftermath 325
Survivorship 326
Remembrance Services 329
Memorials 333
Survivor Recovery 335
Summary 341
References 341
12 ◆ Leadership Checklist: Preparing Your Campus for Crisis 345
Make Crisis Planning a Leadership Imperative 346
Ensure Understanding of FERPA, HIPAA, and OSHA 346
Develop a Crisis Management Plan 346
Make the Budget Available 347
Insist on Multiple Copies of Disaster Plans and Infrastructure
Drawings 347
Ensure Comprehensive Assessment of Each Critical Incident 347
Ensure Proper Communication and Dissemination of Information 348
Ensure the Accuracy of Your Student Contact Information 348
Communicate and Partner with Outside Agencies 349
Require Regular Crisis Training and Situational Exercises 349
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x CONTENTS
Be Prepared to Take the Lead and Use Diff erent Methods 349
Seek Counsel on Risk-Management Recommendations 350
Develop a Comprehensive Recovery Plan 350
Be Prepared to Utilize Recovery to Achieve Long-Term Goals 350
Determine Alternatives to Minimize Enrollment Loss 351
Identify Resources on Your Campus 351
Remember: People First! 351
Author Index 353
Subject Index 359
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Acknowledgments
S
pecial thanks to Kathryn Heidke, Jennifer Duhon, and Sarah
Prud’homme, students at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Your eff orts in
helping us write this book are appreciated.
Th anks also to Jamie N. Brownfi eld, Nancy N. Fair, Nickole R. Kopcha, Cristinia
Kumpf, Kelley B. McNichols, Helena Ng, and Mary Rudberg, enrolled in the ExCES
doctoral program at Duquesne University. Th e input and assistance you gave were in-
valuable in the completion of this book.
xi
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This Is NOT a Fire Drill: Crisis Intervention and Prevention on College Campuses
by Rick A. Myer, Richard K. James and Patrice Moulton
Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
1
. . . Or a Tornado or Earthquake Drill
M
iracle on 34th Street is a Christmas classic, a movie about a little girl
who wanted to believe in Santa Claus, but her mom, an upwardly mobile executive at
Macy’s, was a hardnosed realist who dismissed Santa Claus as a myth. If you have seen
the movie, you will perhaps remember the character of Kris Kringle, who was played by
Ed Gwenn. One of the great scenes in that movie was when Kris Kringle told a mother
that Gimbel’s department store, a competitor of Macy’s, had the particular toy she was
looking for. At fi rst the manager was appalled and wanted to fi re Kris, but then when
upper management found out that it increased customer respect and loyalty, everybody
on the sales staff was told to be helpful and direct customers to other stores if Macy’s
didn’t have the particular product they were looking for. We’re going to do the same
thing here. If you are really serious about the business of preventing, intervening, and
following up in the traumatic wake of violence on your campus, we believe there are
three books that need to make the cut on your reading list.
Th e fi rst book is by Eugene Zdziarski and his associates, Campus Crisis Management
(2007). It is a comprehensive guide to planning, prevention, response, and recovery of
environmental, facility, and human crises in a college setting. It takes an in-depth look
at the intricacies of managing all kinds of crisis on a college campus.
Th e second book is Nicoletti, Spencer-Th omas, and Bollinger’s Violence Goes to
College (2001). It’s about 10 years old, but it is still a really great book for understanding,
preventing, and planning how to stop violence on college campuses. It covers a variety
of violence typologies and also provides information on how to build intervention
strategies to combat potentially virulent episodes that can metastasize and spread across
a campus.
Th e third book is Grayson and Meilman’s College Mental Health Practice (2006),
which gives a graphic portrayal of what practitioners in college counseling centers are
dealing with in regard to contemporary students. Th ese editors have done an excellent
job of providing the reader with a comprehensive view of the legal and ethical, devel-
opmental, and diversity issues that undergird a variety of mental disorders and acute
and chronic crises that go far beyond homesickness, fl unking English, and broken
romances.
We think so highly of these authors and what they have to say that we have refer-
enced them a lot in this book. Now that we have told you about these three great books,
you may be wondering why in the world you bought this one. So why, indeed, read
1