Cell phones were banned from most schools years ago, but after the Columbine High School and 9/11 tragedies, parents started pressuring some school boards and administrators to reverse the bans. On its surface, allowing students to have cell phones under the guise of improved school safety may seem like a "no-brainer" to many board members and…

Juntunen and Parham each reacted positively with important personal reflections and/or calls to action in response to "Counseling Psychology and Large-Scale Disasters, Catastrophes, and Traumas: Opportunities for Growth." We comment on the primary themes and suggestions they raised. Since the time we were stimulated by Katrina and its aftermath…

There's an old Swedish saying that "worry gives a small thing a big shadow." What started out as a subprime borrowing crisis is now casting a long shadow over the entire economy, including higher education, and everyone is, indeed, very worried--including college trustees, who fear the impact of smaller endowments, less annual giving, and…

On a daily basis, administrators are reminded of the potential, perhaps the likelihood, of violence or natural crises on their campuses. Comprehensive studies have been conducted and point to recommendations and best practices for planning, preparing, responding to, and recovering from critical incidents. The International Association of Campus…

This reaction article applauds the authors of the Major Contribution for their thoughtful and thorough consideration of the myriad issues that accompany disaster mental health work. The reaction highlights three themes that emerged in the articles of the contribution: opportunities for collaboration, opportunities for the application of social…

This article presents the testimony by Dr. Melissa Reeves, a school psychologist and faculty member in the school psychology program at Winthrop University. Dr. Reeves shares her view of the critical role schools must play in crisis response and recovery. In addition to being a graduate educator and a consulting school psychologist, Dr. Reeves is…

In this article, the author discusses disaster-recovery planning in light of his personal experience following Hurricane Katrina. He relates the advice he received from Captain Joseph R. Castillo, Chief of Operations for the U.S. Coast Guard Eighth District in New Orleans: Focus on the process of planning, and not on building a plan. The author…

During any crisis on a college campus, the campus and surrounding community look for concrete signs that the institution is taking the situation seriously and responding with respect for the rights of individuals involved. The institution's first response must be the care and protection of the community, and individuals must be consistently held…

States that schools should be a safe haven for children and urges society to return schools to the safe, secure places they once were. Discusses the need to keep media far away from children in the event of a campus emergency and perform full background checks on all potential school employees. Reports that Catholic schools are providing…

Disasters are becoming the key concern of many nations. The term disaster usually meant for natural calamities. There of course may be a human hand behind each of the disasters, whether its' impact is small or large. Disasters can be categorized into natural and man made. In the case of natural disasters there may be some natural indicators to…

In the aftermath of several tragic incidents of school violence, school administrators began focusing more directly on crisis management. Those who actually had to activate their plans often discovered that communication--with the media and with the general community--was one of the most challenging tasks they faced. In an effort to determine if…

In this article, the author relates the lessons she learned from Hurricane Katrina. During the first few days after the hurricane, it took 2,500 volunteers per hour around the clock to do what needed to be done. That included medical volunteers; crisis counselors and mental health professionals; and volunteers to distribute water and snacks, serve…

Emotional competency is defined as developed ability and skills in the areas of self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management. These skills are nurtured, developed, and practiced until they become competencies and serve as a resource when a tragic event occurs. They are relatively undeveloped in very young children…

Weighing in at 567 pages, including 107 pages of footnotes, the 9/11 Commission Report is a metaphor for the primitive and often dysfunctional state of risk management in large organizations such as colleges and universities. President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, told the commission that government decisions "were made from…

The nation's public schools played a critical role in the response to Hurricane Katrina, and they continue to contribute to the recovery of individual families and entire communities. By enrolling displaced children with compassion and efficiency in areas unaffected by the storms, providing parents with information and assistance, and supporting…