Brief Counseling Techniques that Work
Ready for the unthinkable?
When crisis strikes, school staff are at the forefront, faced with a unique and challenging responsibility. It takes courage and compassion to navigate these moments, but a clear, actionable plan is what empowers you to lead with confidence. This workbook is your essential guide, offering a practical framework and a complete three-part system for effective school crisis response.
In this workbook, you'll find the knowledge and tools to:
- Prepare for Crisis: Build a resilient foundation with proven strategies for planning, training, and drills that strengthen your team before an emergency strikes.
- Respond to Crisis: Navigate the chaos with confidence. This section offers clear, practical forms, checklists, and processes you can grab and use in the moment for immediate, effective action.
- Recover from Crisis: Guide your community toward healing. This workbook provides the tools for reflection, restoration, and resilience-building long after the event is over.
15-Minute Focus: School-Based Crisis Response Workbook goes beyond theory, providing a roadmap for real-world solutions. Filled with practical resources, checklists, and exercises, you'll learn to:
- Create a proactive plan: Develop a comprehensive, school-specific crisis plan that addresses a range of potential emergencies, from natural disasters to school-based violence.
- Lead with confidence: Implement a clear communication strategy and establish roles and responsibilities to ensure a coordinated response when minutes matter.
- Support your community's healing: Learn how to facilitate emotional recovery and provide long-term support for students, staff, and families in the aftermath of a traumatic event.
- Strengthen your team: Foster a culture of preparedness and collaboration, empowering every staff member to act as a confident and capable crisis responder.
Written with deep care and intention for the professionals who show up daily, this guide is an essential resource for promoting school safety and well-being. Whether you're a seasoned administrator or a dedicated teacher, 15-Minute Focus: School-Based Crisis Response Workbook will empower you to lead with compassion and transform difficult moments into a path of healing and strength.
Sircy, Michelle: -
Dr. Michelle Sircy is the Program Coordinator for Comprehensive School Counseling at the Kentucky Department of Education, bringing more than 23 years of dedicated experience in public education. Her distinguished career has been marked by a steadfast commitment to advancing mental health services, strengthening crisis response protocols, and promoting equity in schools. Dr. Sircy's professional journey has encompassed roles as a middle school special education teacher, high school counselor, and school counseling specialist for one of the nation's largest school districts, where she led a team of over 300 school counselors for more than a decade.
A recognized authority in crisis response, Dr. Sircy led a large district crisis team for over ten years, coordinating support for more than 450 crisis events to ensure that students, staff, and families received timely and necessary care and support. She has also consulted on numerous crisis response needs statewide, expanding her influence throughout Kentucky. Her leadership has also extended statewide as the crisis support lead for the Kentucky Counseling Association. Additionally, she spearheaded suicide prevention initiatives in her school district, impacting over 400,000 students and adults.
Beyond her work in K-12 settings, Dr. Sircy is an adjunct professor at Spalding University, where she teaches school-based crisis response and small-group counseling. An active contributor to her field, she has written for the American School Counseling Association and co-authored the Kentucky Framework of Best Practices for School Counselors. A passionate advocate for equity, she frequently presents at the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) on essential topics like equity, data-driven counseling, and comprehensive school counseling programs.
Dr. Sircy's impact continues to shape school-based crisis response and mental health advocacy, fostering resilient, inclusive, and supportive learning environments for students and educators alike.
