ABSTRACT
Viktor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning (1997), is a remarkable personal narrative that describes his survival in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Personal narratives that illustrate the problems presented by traumatic incidents in schools can educate and strengthen both new and experienced crisis responders. The PREPaRE curriculum presents a range of coordinated, evidence-based crisis planning, prevention, intervention, and recovery. A positive school climate promotes interpersonal competence and academic success. System-wide programs of training and consultation can prepare for response to traumatized and bereaved students, staff, and community. PREPaRE describes an Incident Command System (ICS) with a shared leadership structure and functional roles to address the varied demands of school crises. Crises present opportunities to review and strengthen safety plans and response capacity. The PREPaRE model recommends tertiary triage during disengagement, which involves careful consideration of the need for continued monitoring or therapeutic treatment for those severely affected.
