These guidelines are intended to ensure the safety of students, staff, and families while remaining flexible, responsive, and achievable in the K-12 setting. They are guidelines, not mandates, and are adaptive to multiple scenarios. School districts should review the guidance in consultation with their local public health departments and choose which methods to adopt. Learn more...
COVID-19 Webinars
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has left students and staff facing many challenges. These webinars provide useful tips to help students and staff recover from the effects of the pandemic and support families during these uncertain times.
Schools On Deck: Preparing for the Return of Students
Presented on July 30, 2020
The
impact of school closures has been different for every child as have their
experiences with being socially and physically distanced. The Georgia Department of Education’s Office of
School Safety and Climate has partnered with the Stephanie Blank Foundation at
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, and Georgia
Center for Child Advocacy to provide school personnel and other
stakeholders with resources and information on how to respond to and assist
students as they return to schools and begin interacting with peers and school
staff. This webinar includes an overview on recognizing basic signs of child abuse, neglect and trauma.
Webinar Recording* | PowerPoint Presentation
*Enter your name, email address and click "Register" to view the recording.
On Deck: Preparing for the Return of Kids After Social Isolation
Presented on June 30, 2020
As children return to school, it is important for adults to care for those who are vulnerable. The impact of the lockdown is different for every child. For all children, moving to a life of social distancing was a major change. While it is impossible to predict how the children will respond, there are things we can do to help children recalibrate to another major change. This webinar provides child serving personnel with tips on how to respond to best protect and assist the child and their family and will provide a brief overview on how to recognize basic signs of abuse and trauma.
Webinar Recording* | PowerPoint Presentation
*Enter your name, email address and click "Register" to view the recording.
Dr. David Schonfeld - When School Starts Back: Supporting Grieving Students During a Pandemic (Part 2)
Presented on May 19, 2020
This session, intended for school mental health professionals but appropriate as well for those without formal mental health training, will provide practical advice on how to support grieving students in any context. A wide range of topics will be covered, including what not to stay, considerations related to grief across different cultures, how to initiate conversations with grieving students, identifying and addressing guilt, appropriate academic accommodations, and managing grief triggers.
Webinar Recording* | PowerPoint Presentation
*Enter your name, email address and click "Register" to view the recording.
Dr. David Schonfeld - When School Starts Back: Helping Students and Yourself Cope with Crisis During a Pandemic (Part 1)
Presented on May 18, 2020
This session, intended for school mental health professionals, is an expanded session of the webinar presented by Dr. Schonfeld on May 5, 2020. It summarizes the principles of psychological first aid and common reactions that may be seen in any crisis event, including the current pandemic. It provides practical advice on how to help students and staff understand and cope with the current pandemic and begin to prepare for what may be needed to offer support to students when schools re-open.
Webinar Recording* | PowerPoint Presentation
*Enter your name, email address and click "Register" to view the recording.
Dr. David Schonfeld - When School Starts Back: Helping Students and Yourself Cope with Crisis and Loss During a Pandemic
Presented on May 5, 2020
Webinar Recording* | PowerPoint Presentation
*Enter your name, email address and click "Register" to view the recording.
Dr. David Schonfeld - Talking to and Supporting our Children During the Pandemic
Presented on April 2, 2020
Webinar Recording* | PowerPoint Presentation
*Enter your name, email address and click "Register" to view the recording.
Dr. David Schonfeld - Supporting Students and Ourselves During a Pandemic
Presented on March 23, 2020
Webinar Recording* | PowerPoint Presentation
*Enter your name, email address and click "Register" to view the recording.
COVID-19 Updates
Presented on March 11, 2020
Webinar Recording* | PowerPoint Presentation
*Enter your name, email address and click "Register" to view the recording.
Psychological First Aid (PFA) and Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) are promising practices for disaster behavioral health response and recovery. Both PFA and SPR were developed by the National Center for PTSD and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, as well as other individuals involved in coordinating and participating in disaster response and recovery. PFA and SPR intervention strategies are intended for use with children, adolescents, parents and caretakers, families, and adults who are survivors or witnesses exposed to disaster or terrorism. PFA and SPR can also be provided to first responders and other disaster relief workers.
GaDOE Community
The Georgia Department of Education launched GaDOE Community in 2020 to provide a platform for educators across the state to connect with colleagues and share important information. The platform allows GaDOE teams, school and district staff, RESAs, and other partners within the state to interact, communicate important information, discuss ongoing work, and share success stories across agencies.
The GaPBIS team has created the following modules and micro-courses to deliver flexible professional development to schools and districts.
Revising the Matrix: The purpose of this course is to utilize the matrix to identify and respond to current needs related to COVID-19, social skills, mental and emotional wellness supports, and online classes.
Practices to Support Staff Wellness: The purpose of this course is to describe how self-care practices can be implemented individually and promoted by leaders to improve staff wellness.
Responding to COVID-19 to School Safety and Climate: The purpose of this course is to describe how to use the PBIS Tier I instructional framework to teach and respond to students returning to school during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visit community.gadoe.org to create an account. Once your request has been approved, you can access the modules within the Courses section of the site.
Additional Resources
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information
COVID-19 Resource List
