Crisis Response Team

Multidisciplinary Crisis Response Team

The Los Alamitos Unified School District's primary purpose of crisis response is to support students and staff in coping with difficult situations resulting from a person, community or school related crisis. The secondary purpose is to assist schools in returning to their normal routines and schedules minimizing disruption to the educational process.

A school crisis can be defined as a reaction to, or perception of, a situation or event that causes psychological trauma to students and/or staff and requires immediate action because of its implications of disruption to the educational process. Crises vary on the scope of their impact ranging from affecting a small group of students in one classroom to affecting multiple school communities.  Types of crises include but are not limited to death of a student, death of staff member, acts of violence, suicide attempt, suicide, natural disaster (i.e., earthquake), fire, toxic spill, automobile accident etc.

The Crisis Response Team's aims to to restore the school community to normal “day-to-day” operations while minimizing psychological damage and disruption to the educational process. During the immediate hours following a crisis, Crisis Response Team members assist students, staff and school community members to return to their previous emotional equilibrium. If left unaddressed, some emotional responses may become internalized and become manifested in escalated ways.