By Erin Bafaro
School Safety Program Manager
When a crisis happens, preparation matters.
A school crisis is not the time to figure out who is responsible for communication, who coordinates with first responders, who supports students and staff, or how your team will work together. Those decisions and the relationships, skills, and confidence needed to carry them out must be developed before a crisis occurs.
That is why the NWESD School Safety & Wellness Center (SSWC) is offering two nationally recognized PREPaRE crisis prevention and intervention trainings from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) this fall.
Registration is open now, but time is limited.
Two Trainings. One Comprehensive Approach.
The PREPaRE curriculum provides practical knowledge and skills to help school professionals prepare for, respond to, and recover from school crises. The model addresses the full continuum of crisis preparedness (for events of varying scope and impact), from prevention and planning through immediate response and recovery. The model emphasizes the importance of coordinated crisis teams supporting both the physical and psychological safety of students and staff.
The SSWC is offering both workshops to help districts strengthen their capacity to respond effectively when their school communities need them most. Participation in both workshops is not mandatory, but participants are strongly encouraged to complete both workshops to develop a comprehensive understanding of the PREPaRE model and its application.
PREPaRE Workshop 1
Comprehensive School Safety Planning: Prevention Through Recovery
October 2, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Virtual
Registration closes September 25
Workshop 1 focuses on prevention and preparedness and provides a broad foundation for understanding the roles and responsibilities of a school crisis team. Participants will explore how to develop, exercise, and evaluate school crisis teams and plans and how to coordinate with community partners.
Participants will learn about:
- Crisis prevention, mitigation, protection, response, and recovery
- Developing and evaluating school crisis teams and plans
- Vulnerability assessments
- Crisis communication
- Reunification
- Roles of school personnel and community partners
- Supporting students with diverse needs
- Cultural considerations
- Media and social media
- Memorials and post-crisis considerations
Who should attend? Administrators, mental health professionals, teachers, student services staff, nurses, security personnel, transportation leaders, front office staff, and others who may serve on or support a comprehensive school crisis team.
Register for PREPaRE Workshop 1
PREPaRE Workshop 2
Mental Health Crisis Interventions: Responding to an Acute Traumatic Stressor in Schools
October 29–30, 2026 | 8:30 a.m.– 4:00 p.m. | Virtual
Registration closes October 16
Workshop 2 focuses on the mental health response to an acute traumatic event. Participants develop practical skills for providing immediate crisis intervention and supporting students, staff, and school community members experiencing traumatic stress. The training also connects immediate crisis response with longer-term mental health supports and recovery.
Workshop 2 is especially valuable for school psychologists, counselors, social workers, nurses, administrators, crisis intervention specialists, members of school crisis teams, and community mental health professionals who partner with schools.
Register for PREPaRE Workshop 2
Don't Just Take the Training. Build the Team.
The training is an important first step, but training alone does not create a crisis response team.
For districts that are ready to put their learning into practice, the SSWC can come work alongside your district after the training to help build or strengthen your own Crisis Response Team.
Whether your district is starting from scratch, has individual staff members with crisis training, or already has a team that but needs strengthening, the SSWC can help you move forward from where you are.
Through consultation, coaching, planning support, and opportunities to practice, the SSWC can help districts:
- Build or strengthen a multidisciplinary Crisis Response Team
- Clarify team membership, roles, and responsibilities
- Connect crisis response structures to the district's Emergency Operations Plan
- Identify gaps in current crisis preparedness
- Develop practical crisis response procedures
- Strengthen coordination with first responders and community partners
- Practice response through tabletop exercises and simulations
- Build confidence in crisis communication and coordination
- Strengthen post-crisis recovery planning
The goal is to help districts move from:
"We have a plan" to "We know our plan, we know our roles, and we've practiced working together."
PREPaRE provides the training. The SSWC can help you build from there.
No school can predict when a crisis will occur, but every school can take meaningful steps to be better prepared. Bring together the people who may have a role in your district's crisis response, build a shared understanding of responsibilities, strengthen your systems, and practice working together. With preparation and practice, teams can build the confidence that comes from knowing they are ready to respond when their school community needs them most.
Registration deadlines are approaching.
PREPaRE Workshop 1
October 2, 2026 | Virtual
Register by September 25
PREPaRE Workshop 2
October 29–30, 2026 | Virtual
Register by October 16 at 4:30 p.m.
Don't wait until you need to build your team. PREPaRE your team now.
