Lisa Hamp will share her personal experience surviving and recovering from the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 while offering best practices for fostering a safe school environment. She provides specific, practical ways school administrators can proactively create safe school environments, including appropriate and adequate mental health support. Audiences are left with tangible skills to address school safety through a mental health lense. By discussing this important topic, it helps students, teachers, and community leaders feel better prepared in the unlikely event of an active shooter or other crisis.
Learning Objectives: Lisa will:
- Offer effective solutions for supporting a campus through a crisis, such as letting students know that their feelings associated with the fear and trauma are valid and that asking for help is a sign of strength.
- Explain the importance of cultivating an environment where everyone in the school system feels safe physically and mentally.
- Discusses mental health considerations during emergency drills and best practices on how to support mental health throughout the school year.