The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) — a nonprofit interstate compact that works to improve public education — announced a new initiative to train school counselors to provide sustained emotional and mental health support for students, teachers, and communities impacted by tragedy.

The SREB Crisis Recovery Network, according to SREB’s website, “is intended to provide an important layer of support” after crises such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, public health emergencies, and school shootings.

“The Network will build and share counselor experience in recovering from these tragedies, from day 3 to day 370 after crisis,” the website says.

North Carolina is one of 16 member states of SREB, which is funded by appropriations from the states as well as contracts and grants from private foundations and local, state, and federal agencies.

SREB’s goal is to train at least 40 counselors in each SREB state, which would mean a total of 640 counselors. The trainees will come from partnering K-12 districts and postsecondary institutions.

Counselors will be trained in PREPaRE — which stands for Prevent/Prepare for crises; Reaffirm physical health and welfare; Evaluate psychological trauma risk; Provide interventions (and) Respond to mental health needs; and Examine the effectiveness of crisis preparedness.

The crisis recovery counselors will be deployed in the days after a crisis to meet with students, and are intended to complement existing crisis management efforts. However, support won’t just be immediate — a specific purpose of the initiative is to provide long-term help.

“This takes at least a year of dedicated support. Recovery does not happen by having counselors available for a few days after students return. It is an extended healing process,” the Crisis Recovery Network’s web page says.

In a Jan. 21 press release, the president of SREB, Stephen L. Pruitt, echoed that sentiment.

“After natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods or after school shootings, students, teachers, and entire communities are left to cope with deep emotional and psychological wounds,” he said. “Our experience shows that people in schools affected by crisis require at least a year of dedicated support to fully recover.”

North Carolina counselors will start training in early March.

Learn more on the SREB Crisis Recovery Network web page.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on 1/29/2025 to reflect a weather delay in the start of training for North Carolina counselors.