Abstract
School safety and crisis prevention, preparedness, and response initiatives have become standard operating procedures in schools throughout the USA. PREPaRE, a comprehensive curriculum developed by school-employed mental health professionals for school-based safety and crisis response teams, has been adopted by many schools in support of such initiatives. While research has supported consumer satisfaction with the training and materials associated with PREPaRE, anecdotal observations and conversations indicate considerable challenges with broad-scale implementation of the strategies and skills embedded in the curriculum. A possible explanation for this phenomenon may be found in the implementation science literature. We propose how implementation drivers such as leadership, organization, and competency connect to various elements of PREPaRE and how they can be used to increase the probability of taking the model from neutral to high gear by school-based safety and crisis teams. Specific potential driver ideas and related resources for implementation are included.
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Two of the authors (i.e., Savage and Woitaszewski) are members of the National Association of School Psychologist’s (NASP) School Safety & Crisis Response Committee (SSCRC). This committee consists of school professionals who help develop the PREPaRE curriculum, conduct PREPaRE trainings, create related resources, and conduct related research.
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Woitaszewski, S.A., Savage, T.A. & Zaslofsky, A.F. From Neutral to High Gear: Critical Implementation Drivers for PREPaRE School Safety and Crisis Response in Practice. Contemp School Psychol 24, 337–348 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-020-00315-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-020-00315-8