Introduction
Globally, people believe that schools provide environments that enable students to enhance their learning, exploration, and self-development. However, in reality, they can also sometimes become unexpected places where crises occur. Most of these issues can negatively affect children’s, staff’s, and the broader community’s well-being.
While it is expected that kids will learn a lot of positive things that will shape their future lives, some end up making the wrong friends, doing drugs, and engaging in constant violence with others. This explains why school crisis interventions have become a critical process in many academic institutions. They help address unforeseen challenges and aim to promote healing, restore stability, and foster resilience after a traumatic event. This paper explores the roles and responsibilities of school crisis prevention team members and counselors with a focus on the effects of a specific case of Bryan’s Fentanyl overdose.
Overview of Bryan’s Fentanyl Overdose Case
The case of Bryan’s overdose occurred during a sleepover with a group of five 8th-grade boys at his house. His transformation from a top-performing, active student to engaging in risky behavior in his eighth-grade year is striking. He changed to embracing a new image that is associated with adverse habits, such as substance abuse and association with peers from different groups.
All these events led to the 2 December incident when he almost lost his life. Even though he started becoming rude to his elders, he did not see an issue with his choices. On this particular day, they began drinking and later used some pills. When they woke up the next morning, Bryan’s friends found him foaming at the mouth and not breathing. The friends had to wake up his mother, who immediately called 911.
Teens all over the US have been significantly affected by abusing fentanyl. This problem has grown significantly, leading to the deaths of many students in schools. For instance, according to Nadworny and Gaines (2023), this drug “was involved in the vast majority of all teen overdose deaths – 84% – in 2021, and the problem has been growing.” This number has risen from 2010 to 2019, with the US recording 500 teenage deaths (Dwyer & See, 2023). It doubled in 2020 to around 954 deaths and reached 1140 deaths in 2021 (Dwyer & See, 2023). The gradual growth of these issues calls for urgent, appropriate actions to improve the situation.
Effects on Middle School Students
Psychological Impact
The repercussions that Bryan went through with a Fentanyl overdose cast a long shadow over the middle school students. This significantly impacted the psychological well-being of these children. For instance, Bryan’s friends thought he was dead and called his mother.
According to Abrams (2022), such crises often trigger acute stress and trauma in those witnessing. Others begin to feel fear and helplessness, which may pervade their thoughts. With prolonged exposure to the trauma, they start experiencing nightmares, flashbacks, and avoidance behavior (Goodwillie, 2023). Even though not many of them would come across these incidences, they lead to PTSD in about 3% to 81% (Abrams, 2022). This consequence can also extend to their emotional health and well-being. It can lead to mood swings, numbness, and irritability in these students.
Interpersonal Dynamic
In addition to the psychological and emotional consequences of school crises like fentanyl overdose, students may also exhibit interpersonal dynamics. For instance, Bryan’s friends who declined the pill may grapple with survivor’s guilt. They might be blaming themselves for not stopping Bryan from taking them. On the other hand, those who pressured him might be feeling shame for almost killing their friend (Stover et al., 2019). These symptoms can also strain relationships with peers, potentially leading to blame and resentment. Others may also end up isolating themselves or withdrawing from the social context.
Academic Effect
School crises like drug overdoses, mass shootings, teachers’ strikes, and many others can negatively affect the academic performance of some students. For example, according to Mazrekaj and Witte (2023), “teacher strikes in the Canadian province of Ontario led to a reduction of 29% of a standard deviation in Grades 3 to 6 mathematics test scores” (p. 1). Kids tend to shift their focus from academic work to other irrelevant things. Similarly, in Bryan’s case, his friends had an experience they had never witnessed before. This can affect their psychological well-being and prevent them from focusing on their studies.
Roles/Responsibilities of Team Members
While responding to Bryan’s Fentanyl overdose and a similar case in school, it would be important for different team members to collaborate. According to Alderwick et al. (2021), coordination “between health care, social services, and other sectors is increasingly seen as a route to improving health and health equity” (p. 2). It is essential because a person’s health is often influenced by various factors that require perspectives from different professionals. In this context, the team will include school administrators, teachers, school counselors, psychologists, social workers, crisis communication and intervention teams, and support staff.
Prevent
The collaboration of these team members will be essential at each step of the PREPaRE model. According to Brock et al. (2016), the first element of this framework is ‘prevent’, which involves reducing the psychological impacts of a given crisis. In Bryan’s case, the school administrators, teachers, and counselors will collaborate to implement school-wide policies and programs.
The administrators are responsible for developing policies, and the teachers incorporate them into the curriculum. The counselors will be responsible for creating a supportive environment and identifying students like Bryan and his friends who may require additional support (Sokol et al., 2021). These professionals will also prevent the consequences of the trauma by conducting screening and assessing the child’s psychological well-being. They will also be assisted by social workers who provide external resources to those affected.
Reaffirm
This component of the PREPaRE model aims to restore the school’s normal functioning by providing the necessary physical and psychological support. In Bryan’s case, a team will collaborate to disseminate information accurately across the institution. The school administrators will oversee communication strategies, and the counselors will offer them to the students and parents (Sokol et al., 2021). Teachers will be responsible for maintaining classroom routines.
Evaluate
This third element of the PREPaRE model aims to identify and triage students and staff who are at risk of developing psychological issues. The leading players in this step will be the school counselor and the psychologist. The two professionals will conduct individual and group assessments to determine the effects of the crisis (Sokol et al., 2021). They will also be supported by social workers who will help recognize and prioritize the needs of these children.
Provide, Respond, and Examine
The last three steps of the PREPaRE mode will be conducted after prevention has failed and some students have been affected by the fentanyl overdose crisis. First, school counselors, psychologists, and peer support teams will offer direct and indirect interventions to children who witnessed the event (Brock et al., 2016). They will also monitor the progress of the implemented strategies and provide administrators with feedback to ensure a more effective and responsive approach. The process will be completed when all team members engage in personal and professional reflection to identify areas for improvement.
Counseling Responsibility to Students, Parents, and Staff
Counseling will play a crucial part in ensuring the well-being of students, parents, and staff in the face of an overdose crisis in school. First, it will identify the potential crises or at-risk situations within the learning environment. This will involve monitoring changes in student behaviors, detecting warning signs, and assessing how students have been affected so far (Reese, 2021).
Once the potential incident has been identified, the school counselors will offer immediate support to the affected student. Through counseling, parents and staff can understand children’s and students’ mental states (Brock et al., 2016). Counselors, parents, and staff will collaborate to implement a prevention program that addresses the root causes, facilitates connections in the school environment, and monitors progress.
Counseling Responsibility to Students, Parents, and Staff
As a future school counselor, I find the prospect of facing crises like fentanyl overdose to be significantly challenging and daunting. However, with the help of my family and other support systems, I believe that I will maintain my composure and offer comfort. The reassurance of this group will help me feel understood, reminding me of my own resilience and ability to navigate challenging situations. I will also use my education and training to prevent and respond to these issues with a calm, focused mind.
References
Abrams, Z. (2022). Stress of mass shootings causing cascade of collective traumas. Monitor on Psychology, 53(6), 20.
Alderwick, H., Hutchings, A., Briggs, A., & Mays, N. (2021). The impacts of collaboration between local health care and non-health care organizations and factors shaping how they work: A systematic review of reviews. BMC Public Health, 21, 1-16.
Brock, S. E., Nickerson, A. B., Reeves, M. A., Conolly, C. N., Jimerson, S. R., Pesce, R. C., & Lazzaro, B. (2016). School crisis prevention and intervention: The PREPaRE model.NASP Publications.
Dwyer, D., & See, P. (2023). Schools stock Naloxone as student drug overdoses surge. ABC News.
Goodwillie, K. (2023). How Gov. Inslee plans to address fentanyl overdose deaths in Washington.
Mazrekaj, D., & Witte, K. (2023). The Impact of School Closures on Learning and Mental Health of Children: Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic. Perspectives on Psychological Science.
Nadworny, E., & Gaines, L. (2023). As more teens overdose on fentanyl, schools face a drug crisis unlike any other. NPR.
Reese, D. M. (2021). School counselor preparation to support inclusivity, equity and access for students of color with disabilities. Frontiers in Education, 6, 1-12.
Sokol, R. L., Heinze, J., Doan, J., Normand, M., Grodzinski, A., Pomerantz, N., A. S., Briana, G., Maura, and Z., Marc, (2021). Crisis interventions in schools: A systematic review. Journal of School Violence, 20(2), 241-260.
Stover, A. N., Grogg, K., Patel, J., Thornton, D., & Dwibedi, N. (2019). Opioid overdose knowledge among college students in a high overdose death state. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 29(7), 887-896.