Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

2024

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Kari Oyen

Abstract

Little information is known on crisis prevention and intervention plans in schools across South Dakota. A review of the existent literature revealed gaps within school-based crisis intervention models, their objectives, and their effectiveness in addressing the psychological and physical safety needs of students, staff, teachers, families, and community members. Gaps in understanding rural crisis response were noted. The purpose of this study was to assess whether crisis prevention and intervention plans in South Dakota schools adequately protected students, staff, families, and community members. To achieve this, a stratified random sample of 53 PreK-12 public schools in the state of South Dakota representing both rural and city schools were invited to share their school’s crisis plans. Crisis intervention plans from each selected school were evaluated using a checklist from the first edition of the PREPaRE training manual, which reflects key elements needed for effective crisis prevention and response. The analysis identified common elements included in South Dakota school plans and highlighted key missing elements in rural and urban schools. Implications and discussions for further research were explored. Keywords: crisis interventions, rural populations, physical safety, psychological safety

Subject Categories

Counseling Psychology

Keywords

Crisis prevention plans, Schools, South Dakota

Number of Pages

162

Publisher

University of South Dakota

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