The Teachers Unify Crisis Intervention & Support Team
Survivors consistently highlight the value of peer support, which can reduce PTSD rates by up to 30% (Everytown Research 2023, 2024).
GET SUPPORT
When the fear and impact of gun violence and trauma take hold of a school or community, educators and school staff are often left with few resources to address their own needs while supporting students and families. Our Crisis Intervention and Support Team is dedicated to assisting in the building/rebuilding of safety, trust, and resilience for educators and allied professionals.
Our program integrates best practices in prevention, early intervention, crisis intervention, and postvention, ensuring that every response is tailored, evidence-based, and deeply rooted in collaboration.
Reach out to the team directly
response@teachersunify.org
(203) 296-3689
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
WE’RE AVAILABLE WHENEVER NEEDED.
CONNECT WITH OTHERS WHO GET IT.
NOT READY YET? WE’VE STILL GOT YOUR BACK.
If you’re struggling now but not ready to call the Crisis Team yet, please remember: try to be patient with yourself. This is really hard, and there’s no timeline for trauma. It will get more manageable with adequate guidance and support. You are making a difference every day, and your commitment to your students, their families, and your colleagues is the heart and soul of who you are as a professional and as a human being. We are here for you.
LEADERSHIP FROM THE FRONTLINES
Led by Teachers Unify’s Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow with the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), Dr. Michael J. Schultz, the Teachers Unify Crisis Intervention and Support Team is made up of school shooting survivor–educators, school counselors, and mental‑health clinicians with deep experience supporting communities impacted by gun violence. Grounded in a trauma-effective framework and informed by lived experience from tragedies at Columbine High School, Sparks Middle School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Sandy Hook School, Santa Fe High School, and the Highland Park, Illinois July 4th parade, our team is here to support communities in the aftermath of gun violence.
Together, they bring a wide range of expertise. Through tailored interventions, they work alongside local leadership, school boards, superintendents, unions, and community agencies to co-design immediate responses and long-term strategies.
“I know the unique strength survivors can bring to one another. I am stronger because of the survivors who took time to make space for me, and it would be an honor to pass on that
wisdom and power to others.”
Liesl Fressola
Sandy Hook School tragedy survivor-educator & Crisis Team member