LAPS NEWS

As part of back to school professional development, principals, counselors, nurses, and other site safety team leaders attended a day-long training called PREPaRE from the National Association of School Psychologists. It is a prevention and intervention model designed specifically for the unique school environment.

PREPaRE is one of the first comprehensive training curriculums developed by school-based professionals with firsthand experience. Specifically, the PREPaRE model emphasizes that, as members of a school safety and crisis team, LAPS administrators and mental health professionals will:

P—Prevent and PREPaRE for psychological trauma
R—Reaffirm physical health and perceptions of security and safety
E—Evaluate psychological trauma risk
P—Provide interventions
a—and
R—Respond to psychological needs
E—Examine the effectiveness of crisis prevention and intervention

Caron Inglis, Behavior Specialist and School Psychologist, believes the training will allow LAPS crisis teams to further develop the comprehensive plans the district has already put in place. 

“As a school psychologist, I was excited to see us addressing both psychological and physical safety, with an emphasis on creating a positive school climate as a preventative measure,” said Inglis. “We already have a lot of components in place, but the training also gave us ideas for next steps we can take to be as prepared as possible to keep our schools safe and guidance on how to best respond in the event of a variety of crises, including natural disasters, accidents, etc.”

Next steps include updating safety plans at every school and sharing applicable content about the social-emotional part of school safety.