Day One: November 2, 2022
11:00 am – 12:00 pm | Pick 1 of 6
Especially Safe: Safety Planning for Individuals With Special Needs
Do you have a plan for individuals with special needs? Join this session to explore Safe and Sound’s newest program, Especially Safe: An Inclusive Approach to School Safety. Developed with expert practitioners from across the disciplines, the program includes resources, tools, and teaching ideas to meet the safety needs of community members with special needs. We’ll share an overview of the Especially Safe Planning & Preparation and Teaching & Training Guides, introduce the TEAMS framework for inclusive safety planning, and share practical activities for increasing empowerment and building a positive culture of safety within your school community.
- Presenter: Michele Gay & Brenna Morse
Back to Basics: Foundational Practices for a Comprehensive School Safety Program
In recent years, schools have encountered many challenges as it relates to school safety. This session will cover twelve findings from the Commission Report on the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas tragedy, and provide key foundational practices that every school should include within their school safety program.
- Presenter: Mike Herrmann
Red Lake: Choosing to Survive
In “Red Lake: Choosing to Survive,” Missy shares her personal journey of navigating life after a school shooting. Through the pain, guilt, and hard decisions she is open and honest about her struggles and successes, and how she now defines acceptance. Missy’s story gives listeners hope and courage a person can, by doing the work, find the strength to progress from a victim to a survivor.
- Presenter: Missy Dodds
Averting Targeted School Violence: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Plots Against Schools
For over 20 years, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) has conducted research on the thinking and behaviors of those who commit acts of targeted school violence in order to prevent future acts from occurring. Key findings from this research indicate that establishing multidisciplinary threat assessment teams and encouraging school communities to report concerning behaviors are critical steps in the prevention of targeted violence. This presentation will highlight past incidents and include relevant findings and recommendations from NTAC’s latest research publications on averted school attacks at K-12 schools in the United States. It will also focus on how communities can use a multidisciplinary approach to identify, assess, and intervene with students exhibiting concerning or threatening behaviors as early as possible.
- Presenter: Kristy Domingues
Road Sensibility: Straight Talk about Teens, Cars, Safety and Peer Pressure
Car crashes are the number one killer of young people in the US killing more youth each year than suicide, cancer, and disease combined. Cara Filler watched her identical twin sister, Mairin, die in a speed-related car crash the day after their 18th birthday and the summer they graduated from high school. Getting behind the wheel can be a risky proposition for new drivers, but there are ways to help keep students safe. Come find out what they are.
- Presenter: Cara Filler
Critical Incident Response Team Project
When critical incidents or crisis events occur in a school, quick access to effective resources that minimize the traumatic impact on students and staff is essential. At the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) – Office of School Safety (OSS), we prioritize the need for prompt, efficient, evidence-based crisis interventions to promote recovery after a crisis event.
This presentation is designed to provide an overview of the regionally based Critical Incident Response (CIR) teams that have been developed in Wisconsin based as part of a 2018 BJA Mental Health STOP federal grant that WI DOJ – OSS received.
The CIR teams will provide support, resources, and assistance to all K-12 school districts in Wisconsin that have been faced with a critical incident. We will work with the impacted school to learn the needs of the educational community, and provide a right sized, solutions-oriented approach to crisis response and recovery best practices that “do no harm”.
Attendees will have the opportunity to understand the vision and mission behind the project, learn about the components of the CIR teams, understand the development and overview of the project, and recognize the CIR structure and response procedures.
- Presenter: Kelly DeJonge
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Pick 1 of 6
Behavioral Threat Assessment Case Study: An Outline of the Collaboration Between Law Enforcement and School Division Personnel to Effectively Investigate and Manage an External Threat
A threatening text message from a parent is intercepted and reported to a high school principal, which leads to concerns for the safety of graduation. Law enforcement school personnel partner to conduct a threat assessment and discuss safety measures to ensure a safe graduation. This case brings additional challenges to the threat assessment process and targets a large outdoor ceremony. This debrief will outline the threat assessment process, past mental health concerns for the subject of concern, investigative efforts, development of an Incident Action Plan for graduation, and the collaboration between law enforcement and school personnel.
- Presenters: 1st Lt. Jason Cornwell & Teresa Ritenour
Handle With Care
Learn about the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association’s efforts to implement a statewide HANDLE WITH CARE system in Missouri. This presentation will highlight the work being done toward creating a statewide notification system; assisting schools in identifying trauma-informed practices to use when working with students who have been exposed to trauma; partnering with local mental health agencies, and assisting schools, law enforcement agencies, and juvenile courts in developing a continuum of responses to misbehavior at school that divert students from being inserted into the juvenile justice system.
- Presenter: Tammy Walden
Not Every Threat is a School Shooting But Every Threat Deserves Our Very Best
Schools around the country are experiencing critical incidents at a faster rate than ever before but not every tragedy is a school shooting. Learn crisis management strategies for unforeseen events as well as those critical incidents that we worry about every day. Our two presenters have learned hard lessons that have never been shared before. From the incident management perspective to the crisis mental health perspective learn how to take back your school following tragedy.
- Presenters: John McDonald & Bryan Krause
What About the Child
In “What About the Child,” Missy discusses her “missing piece” of school safety. How can a school that was considered, “the safest school in Minnesota” in 2005, be the site of one of the deadliest school shootings in America? It took years, but Missy found her answer. While the solution may seem obvious, it is the prevention method most overlooked.
- Presenter: Missy Dodds
When Crime in the Community Impacts the School: Lessons Learned and Improvements Implemented
This session will highlight the occurrence of a shooting across the street from a local elementary school that resulted in bullets within the building and on campus, as well as the shoot out that occurred between the shooter and police during dismissal of students. Presenters will provide details of that day, positive actions taken during and after this traumatic event, and lessons learned. Attendees will also be provided with resources and a detailed emergency operation plan created as a result of this shooting.
- Presenters: Lea Ann Combs & Jay Fleer
Don’t Fret Emergency Planning! Simple Steps for Developing an EOP
Being tasked with creating an emergency operations plan can feel overwhelming, but don’t fret! This session will provide simple steps on how to identify team members, structure your tasks, and build an emergency operations plan that represents the uniqueness of your school.
- Presenter: Brenna Morse
Day Two: November 3, 2022
11:00 am – 12:00 pm | Pick 1 of 6
I’m Feeling Suicidal, Now What? A Deeper Dive Into the Zero Suicide Model and How 988 Can Help
During the 30 months preceding the pandemic, ER visits for suicidality was about 5.8%; during the pandemic this increased by 55% and was even higher amongst our adolescents. While evidence-based treatment is effective and available, many people do not receive or complete an intervention in many healthcare settings. Of those dying by suicide every day, approximately 45% will have seen their primary care provider within 30 days prior to their death. Broader scale screening of suicide risk outside of behavior health settings is a necessity. This training will provide a brief overview of current suicide statistics, the Zero Suicide model of care, how the State is rolling out 988 and a review of the current resources available throughout the State of Missouri around quick access to care for our adolescents who are identifying at risk of suicide.
- Presenter: Lauren Moyer
A School Bus Can Be Your Rolling Classroom. How to Create Safe and Supportive Enivornments on the School Bus
Millions of students begin and end their day on a school bus. This session will outline steps for creating a positive and welcoming school bus environment that result in a decrease in discipline referrals and an increase in student safety and bus driver retention.
- Presenter: Brenna Morse
Transforming School Safety “Coordinators” into School Safety “Specialists:” Missouri’s School Safety Academy Program
Missouri law requires each school district to name a “School Safety Coordinator,” but the law is silent on training and certification of these critical district employees. Recognizing this gap, Missouri School Boards’ Association’s Center for Education Safety acquired grant money and created a School Safety Academy. More than 200 education staff, administrators, school resource officers and facilities directors have been trained in the last two years. This session outlines the path from idea to execution of the Academy program.
- Presenters: Deb Hendricks & Craig Rector
Questions School Board Members Should be Asking About School Safety
This presentation looks at the challenging environment that exists for school boards in an era of frustration, anger and divisiveness as well effective strategies for managing during chaos. The presentation will address the important role a school board has with school safety and school board crisis management strategies following tragedy.
- Presenters: John McDonald. Dr. Erin Maxwell-Meyer, Nancy Masterson, Jonathan Russell, and Amy Roderick (moderator)
Reunification for the School Community: Lessons Learned in Reunification & Recovery
Michele Gay, Sandy Hook mother, educator, and founder of Safe and Sound Schools shares lessons learned from personal experience, best practices, and essential elements for planning to reunify and recover the school community after a crisis. Join this session for practical takeaways, key considerations, and ready to use reasources to prepare your community for a positive reunification experience.
- Presenter: Michele Gay
Utilizing a Restorative Practices Framework for Student and Staff Wellness
Discover a no-cost solution to student and staff wellness and improve your school climate and safety at the same time! In this workshop, you will learn how to easily implement a restorative practices framework that focuses on restoring relationships and repairing harm.
- Presenter: Kimberly Daubenspeck
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Pick 1 of 6
Engaging Your Team for a School Safety Wellness Check
School safety planning should never be done in a silo. This session will explore how engaging internal and external partners in an intentional and meaningful way can keep your school safety program robust and healthy!
- Presenters: Stephen Balko & Ryan Stewart
School Climate After the Pandemic and the Impact on School Safety
The residual effects of grief, loss and isolation during the pandemic continue to be felt in schools. This session will discuss how it has impacted staff and students and identify best practices and strategies to improve your school climate and safety.
- Kimberly Daubenspeck
Critical Incident Response Team Project
When critical incidents or crisis events occur in a school, quick access to effective resources that minimize the traumatic impact on students and staff is essential. At the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) – Office of School Safety (OSS), we prioritize the need for prompt, efficient, evidence-based crisis interventions to promote recovery after a crisis event.
This presentation is designed to provide an overview of the regionally based Critical Incident Response (CIR) teams that have been developed in Wisconsin based as part of a 2018 BJA Mental Health STOP federal grant that WI DOJ – OSS received.
The CIR teams will provide support, resources, and assistance to all K-12 school districts in Wisconsin that have been faced with a critical incident. We will work with the impacted school to learn the needs of the educational community, and provide a right sized, solutions-oriented approach to crisis response and recovery best practices that “do no harm”.
Attendees will have the opportunity to understand the vision and mission behind the project, learn about the components of the CIR teams, understand the development and overview of the project, and recognize the CIR structure and response procedures.
- Presenter: Kelly DeJonge
SRO Program Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): Recommended Essential Elements
An introduction to the National Association of School Resource Officer (NASRO) Program Recommendations sets the stage for an opportunity to understand the critical necessity of a well-constructed memorandum of understanding (MOU). These national recommendations provide the respective agency chief, sheriff, and school district leaders sound training principles, personnel qualification requirements, and examples of accepted industry recommendations. These recommendations support informed decision-making, resource allocation, controlled program costs, and fosters a community’s understanding and support of the School Resource Officer working to protect students, faculty, and the school community.
- Presenter: Dr. Janet Nease
Ready to Respond: Key Takeaways from a Tragic School Bus Accident
The bus ride home on October 27, 2020 was just like any other day until a utility truck collided with a Meigs County, TN School bus, resulting in the loss of the bus driver and one student. This session will recount the immediate actions taken, review the findings from the NTSB investigation, and identify the key takeaways that can improve emergency preparedness for transportation safety.
- Presenters: Brenna Morse & Tad Roberts
Creating and Sustaining a Safe School
A safe environment does not happen overnight or without intentional planning, execution and follow up. This presentation guides participants in understanding the importance of creating a safety vision, discovering barriers to achieving this vision, and developing successful strategies to succeed. Participants will apply tactics discussed to their own environment. They will identify “next steps” and leave the session with action items to improve the safety environment they lead.
- Presenter: Brian Gard
This Midwest School Safety Summit is brought by Safe and Sound Schools in partnership with Missouri School Boards’ Association Center for Education Safety.
