A Proactive Approach to Preventing School Tragedies

In this episode, Chris Leonard talks with Robert Ferullo (Principal of Weehawken High School and former Special Education Supervisor) about the proactive steps schools can take to prevent tragedies such as shootings and suicides. This can be a sensitive issue — one that we may prefer not to think about. But school administrators list preventing school tragedies among their top concerns.

Highlights include:

• What happens when schools ignore students' emotional needs
• Why a "softer" approach is recommended by experts as a more effective way to make schools safer
• How schools can create a school culture of trust and open communication
• The three levels of mental health support schools need to prevent tragedies and improve outcomes
• How school-based mental health intervention can actually save the district money