Extreme weather conditions like those we've recently witnessed can have a profound impact on schools, from physical safety concerns to the emotional impact of stress and uncertainty on students, families, and staff. Community solidarity becomes crucial during these times, and I have been fortunate to witness collaborative efforts between schools and community members to ensure safety and well-being and to support students as we welcome them back to school this week. Events like these highlight the need for awareness, preparedness, and collaboration when responding to safety concerns. Explore the resources below for consultation, support, and valuable learning opportunities dedicated to ensuring school safety, fostering mental health, and proactively preventing crises.

Neha Hertzog

School Safety & Prevention Specialist

The virtual School Safety & Mental Health Summit aims to bring together school and community partners to discuss current topics related to school safety, school culture and climate, and mental and behavioral health through a lens of equity and culturally-sustaining practices. The summit will serve as a platform to unite diverse perspectives and expertise in sharing best practices, research findings, and innovative approaches to promote safety and mental well-being in educational settings. School staff at all levels and community partners supporting any aspect of safety and mental health are encouraged to attend. The 2024 Summit will be held on January 31.

This training is hosted by Northwest Regional Education Service District in collaboration with many of our community and regional partners.

ASIST is an in-depth, two-day workshop that teaches participants to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety using LivingWorks’ evidence-based Pathway for Assisting Life (PAL) model. More details and information provided at the registration links below.

This training is hosted by Northwest Regional Education Service District.

Critical research from the Family Acceptance Project® (FAP) has shown that family rejection contributes to health risks for LGBTQ youth, including suicidal behavior and substance use, while even small changes in family acceptance help promote health and well-being. This virtual training will introduce educators to effective ways to support youth ­and families. Multiple dates available.

Learn more about this training opportunity

This training is hosted by the Family Acceptance Project®, Oregon Alliance for Suicide Prevention, and Oregon Family Support Network and is Funded by the Oregon Department of Education LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success Grant Program.

In June 2023, the State Board of Education adopted the first Oregon Transformative Social and Emotional (TSEL), Framework and Standards that represent K-12 social and emotional learning expectations for students. Districts are required to implement the standards and framework no later than July 1, 2024.

These two collaboratives will provide an opportunity for educators to deepen their understanding of the new standards, understand SEL through an MtSS lens, make a plan of action for implementation, and collaborate with other educators to share promising practices. Both in person and virtual options available. 

This training is hosted by Northwest Regional Education Service District.

This one-day comprehensive training on the Sexual Incident Response Committee (SIRC) will teach participants a systematic approach to identifying and addressing sexually concerning behavior in schools that can be applied with students in grades K-12. Federal guidelines around FAPE, Title IX, and collaboration with law enforcement and community agencies will be discussed, and participants will have the opportunity to practice implementing the process. School staff and community partners supporting school safety and mental health are encouraged to attend.

This training is hosted by Northwest Regional Education Service District in partnership with the Center for Integrated Intervention.

Behavioral Safety Assessment Team (BSAT) training is a two-day comprehensive training that focuses on building a sustainable, community-based violence prevention, threat management, and behavioral safety assessment system composed of school site-based Level 1 teams and a community-based Level 2 team. School staff and community partners supporting school safety and mental health are encouraged to attend.

This training is hosted by Northwest Regional Education Service District in partnership with John Van Dreal Consulting.