The Department of Education has a team of 12 counsellors who are specially trained in providing support for students in crisis situations.

"One of my first objectives when I assumed the role of Education Officer, Counselling, was to develop a strategic response to crises that affect our students," said Department of Education's LeeAnn Simmons.

"I arranged for a two-day training in Critical Incident Stress Management Group Crisis Intervention for 11 school counsellors and me in April 2006," she said.

Counsellors volunteered to be on the team as the work they do is separate from their regular duties as school counsellors.

"In the training you are taken through scenarios, given a little background and taught what things to look for and what steps to follow for defusing and/or debriefing,'" said Ms Simmons.

"The models used are built on research that asserts that providing an environment that allows people affected by a crisis to process what they have experienced, will mitigate the impact of the event and accelerate the recovery process for victims and witnesses as well as allow the counsellors to assess who may require additional services."

When a school has a crisis Ms Simmons is called and goes in on her own to evaluate the situation. "The team is not automatically deployed," she said. "As team leader I will meet with or have a telephone conference with the school principal ahead of time to determine how best to support the school's crisis team."

According to Ms Simmons each public school on the Island has its own crisis management plan.

"The reason my team is called external is because we are not based at the school," she said.

Ms Simmons said typically she goes to the school and works with the onsite school counsellor. If it emerges that the team is needed she then calls them in.

The entire process is well thought out and managed, and that preparedness has translated into swift personalised mental support for all students on the Island.

Ms Simmons said her team is not confined to only helping in the public schools, it is also available to the Island's private schools.

Although some horrific and tragic incidents have taken place in recent years, Ms Simmons said responding and providing psychological support for students has been easy.

"When it's organised and you have a plan, you know going in what you need to do for the students," she said. "What the students need is normalcy. They need one thing they can count on and that's what my team does, we provide support."

The Education Department's External Crisis Intervention Team was deployed at CedarBridge Academy after the murder of student Rhianna Moore, at Bermuda Institute after the murder of former student Kellon Hill and at Warwick Academy after the deaths just a few month apart of Dakarai Tucker from a brain hemorrhage and Miguel Franco in a cycle crash.

Ms Simmons is also available to consult with parents and has produced a brochure to help guide adults in how they can provide mental support for students. She can be contacted on 278-3313. Additionally there are two counselling lifelines 239-6344 (from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and 236-3770 (from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m.).