Crisis Intervention
Crisis intervention is a major component of school social work practice. This chapter discusses two crises that school social workers may face: suicidal ideation and natural and human-caused disasters. Due to the amount of time children spend at school, schools play an essential component in identifying suicide risk. A case vignette is presented alongside methods that school social workers can use to strengthen suicide prevention. The importance of using methods sensitive to race and ethnicity of diverse student populations is stressed. The second part of the chapter discusses methods to identify and address the multiple needs of the school community after a disaster. Special attention is given to addressing the disproportionate impacts that disasters have on communities of color and those who are economically disadvantaged.