Faculty SafeTeam: A Communication Network "The faculty doesn't know nearly as much as the students do about what's going on in school. It feels like there is a big gap between adults and adolescents. For me, SafeTeam bridges that gap. I get to interact with the teachers who are on SafeTeam, to plan our activities. Working to create a safer school bonds us together. It is known who can be trusted in this school, and it's mainly the teachers who are on SafeTeam. They want us to learn, but they also want to make sure we're safe and happy. They're very committed." -Student, Booker T. Washington High School
Faculty SafeTeam members can be selected by the school principal and SafeTeam Coordiantor or by the student SafeTeam. Each member is asked to:
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Make a one- year commitment to serving on SafeTeam
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Sign a confidentiality agreement pretoecting the privacy of any individual the Faculty SafeTeam discusses
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Make the Faculty SafeTeam work a high priority
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Consistently attend meetings
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Partcipate in training to develop prevention and intervention skills
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Visibly display their SafeTeam sign outside their classroom or office for students and others to see.
Faculty Safeteam members, after receiving training, should be congnizant of warning signs for a varity of emotional problems. The group will meet approxiametly every other week and share information about specific students by compiling their own observances of a student with the observations of other Faculty SafeTeam members, allowing for the Coordinator to do a follow visit with the student. The group will also discuss broader issues, such as: general school safety (i.e. open door policies, management of visitors to the campus, polices on weapons) and crisis situations (student with a gun at school, natural disasters, loss of a student.)
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