Rightsize. Right Support. Right for Students.
Portland Public Schools is undertaking a districtwide rightsizing process to better align our schools, programs, and resources with the needs of today’s students and the realities shaping our future.
The Student Services Crisis Recovery Team supports school communities as a general consultant following tragedy, death, and other events that have a significant impact on a school community. The team works with school administrators and Senior Directors to assess support needs and coordinate the appropriate level of crisis recovery response.
When an incident is related to a hate-based incident, Student Services partners with the MTSS Restorative Justice team to coordinate the response.
The Crisis Recovery Team works alongside school administrators and school-based staff to coordinate trauma-informed support following a tragedy, death, or other significant event affecting a school community.
Please call or text 503-939-3283. If you call during the night, someone will get back to you by 7:00 a.m. the following morning.
Assist building administrators with crafting trauma-informed communication to building staff and the school community, and support staff in having classroom conversations with students.
Support school-based counselors, social workers, and psychologists in providing individual or group counseling for students following a crisis or significant loss.
Serve as a conduit between schools and community-based agencies and help arrange virtual or in-person sessions with Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) responders.
Provide direction and guidance to administrators during crisis response, with continued consultation and follow-up available by phone or email.
Provide resource materials for students, staff, and families, including information related to grief, loss, and race-based traumatic stress.
Help school teams identify support needs and coordinate an appropriate response based on the circumstances and impact of the event on the school community.
School communities may need a coordinated recovery plan following a critical incident. The following resource provides a framework to help school teams plan for resiliency, healing, and recovery.
This resource outlines national best practices for recovering from a critical incident and is intended to support resiliency and healing. School communities should customize recovery planning to be responsive to the needs of their students, families, and staff.
Use these resources to support clear, trauma-informed communication with students, families, staff, and the broader school community following a crisis or significant loss.
The following resources can help school teams communicate following a crisis. Letter templates are intended to be adapted to the circumstances of the event and copied onto school letterhead as appropriate.
These resources can support school teams, students, and families in responding to grief, loss, traumatic events, and the ongoing process of recovery.
Access behavioral health crisis services and information from Multnomah County.
Visit Behavioral Health Crisis ServicesA resource for understanding and supporting children as they experience and process grief.
View the PDFExplore additional conversations and presentations focused on supporting children, adolescents, and school communities through grief and loss.
Grief Out Loud, Episode 142 with Dr. Tashel Bordere — exploring suffocated grief and the experiences of Black and Brown youth.
Grief Out Loud, Episode 164 with Kevin Carter of the Uplift Center for Grieving Children.
Grief Out Loud, Episode 189 with Breeshia Wade, author of Grieving While Black: An Antiracist Take on Oppression and Sorrow.
A conversation about grief and finding meaning with Brené Brown and David Kessler.
A presentation from the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.
A presentation from the Center for Complicated Grief focused on loss and grief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
PPS employees can access additional support and resources through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Visit the Employee Assistance Program