When a crisis touches your campus, you shouldn't have to start from scratch. This resource was created by and for student affairs professionals in academic medicine, people who know firsthand how disorienting, isolating, and challenging these moments can be.
Access practical knowledge, resources, and insights from peers to help you prepare for, respond to, and recover from a wide range of crisis situations while supporting learners and your institution. This collection includes examples from peer institutions, practical tools and frameworks, and connections to trusted national resources.
This page is organized around the types of crises most commonly encountered in medical school environments. Within each section, you'll find sample plans, frameworks, and links that colleagues have found useful. We encourage you to adapt whatever is helpful to your own institutional context.
Not every difficult situation rises to the level of a crisis, and the judgment calls around when and how to respond are never easy. This collection is intended to help student affairs professionals draw on the knowledge and experience of the broader community rather than navigate those decisions alone.
If your organization would like to contribute relevant resources, please contact learnersupport@aamc.org.
A Note for Those Responding to Crises
Crisis response can take a significant personal and emotional toll on the people responsible for supporting others. As you attend to the needs of students and your community, remember to attend to your own needs as well. Make space, when you can, for rest, reflection, connection, and recovery. Lean on colleagues, use the support available to you, and recognize when you may need additional help yourself. Self-care is critical for sustaining your capacity to lead, support others, and recover from difficult experiences.
Getting Started: Developing a Crisis Management Plan
Effective crisis response begins long before a crisis occurs. It includes building the structures, relationships, and shared understanding that allow you to respond with clarity, coordination, and care when difficult moments arrive. That work happens when things are quiet.
Student affairs professionals in academic medicine are regularly called upon to navigate a wide range of critical situations: mental health crises, missing students, student or faculty death, legal issues, Title IX concerns, cultural and political incidents, campus violence, public health exposures, and more. These situations are often urgent, emotionally charged, and complicated by questions about confidentiality, stakeholder notification, and institutional policy, sometimes all at once. And they rarely follow a script.
The resources and reflection prompts below are offered as starting points for building or strengthening your institution's crisis readiness. Because crisis response is so shaped by local context (your institution's structure, your community's culture, your region's resources), we encourage you to use these materials as prompts for conversation with your own team, not as a one-size-fits-all model.
Define institutional readiness
Colleagues from the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth have identified ten dimensions of institutional readiness that are worth exploring with your team:
- A clear framework for early assessment, so that concerns are recognized and addressed before they escalate.
- Trauma-informed, learner-centered approaches that keep students' dignity and well-being at the center of every response.
- Differentiated response pathways matched to the type and severity of the situation.
- Preparedness across all learning environments, including clinical sites, not just campus.
- Structured escalation criteria, so the right people are brought in at the right time.
- Capacity for complex and overlapping crises, because real situations rarely stay tidy.
- Defined roles and shared accountability, where everyone knows their part before something happens.
- Continuous learning and improvement, where after-action review is built in, not optional.
- A coordinated communication strategy, grounded in transparency and trust.
- Leadership visibility and alignment, where deans and other leaders are part of the response, not bystanders to it.
To learn more from these peers about building crisis response capacity in medical student affairs, access recent presentation materials.
Complete an institutional self-assessment
The following checklist offers a practical way to assess where your institution stands across five domains. We encourage you to use it not as a grading exercise, but as a conversation starter with colleagues. Mark the areas where your own knowledge or confidence feels limited; those are often the most productive places to begin.
Checklist for Institutional Readiness for Crisis Assessment, Escalation, and Response (PDF) (Marcy Verduin, MD, Sr. Associate Dean for Medical Education, University of Central Florida College of Medicine; Alex Grieco, MD, Associate Dean for Student Life, The Ohio State University College of Medicine; Tara Cunningham, EdD, MS, Associate Dean for Student Life, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine)
Explore sample crisis management plans and frameworks
These examples from medical schools and other educational institutions offer approaches to crisis planning, communication, and response that you can adapt to your institutional context:
- Crisis Management Plan (PDF) (Cowley College) A comprehensive institutional plan covering a range of crisis types.
- A Practical Guide to Crisis Management (PDF) (Creighton University School of Medicine). A medical school-specific overview; supplementary crisis handout available upon request from Creighton.
- Duke University Crisis Communications Plan. A useful model for communications structure and protocols.
- Crisis Communication Leadership in Higher Ed (PDF) (University of Miami). A case study-based exploration of leadership challenges in higher ed crisis response.
- Aftermath of Tragic Events: The Development and Use of Community Support Meetings on a University Campus (Journal of American College Health). A peer-reviewed article on planning and facilitating community support meetings following tragedy.
- School Safety and Crisis Planning Toolkit (School Superintendents Association). A practical toolkit adaptable planning resources.
- An Integrated Symmetrical Model for Crisis-Communications Management (Journal of Public Relations Research). An academic overview of crisis communication principles applicable to higher education settings.
Access emergency preparedness resources
Use these resources to strengthen your institution’s emergency preparedness, planning, and coordination before a crisis occurs:
- Ready Campus (Ready.gov). Federal guidance on building a campus emergency management program.
- GSA Crisis Response and Intervention: Emergency Response Plan. Legacy AAMC Group on Student Affairs resource; contact AAMC for updated access
Civil Unrest
Campus communities are not insulated from broader social and political tensions, and student affairs professionals are often called upon to navigate these moments with both firmness and care. These resources may help you think through how to prepare for and respond when civil unrest, whether on or near campus, affects your learning community:
- Emergency Management for Civil Unrest (Florida State University). Higher education-specific resource covering the phases before, during, and after the event.
- Emergency Response Plan: Public Safety (Hofstra University). A comprehensive plan covering multiple crisis types, with sections relevant to civil disturbance.
- Emergency Response Plan (LSU Health Sciences Center). Health sciences-specific emergency response framework.
Environmental/Natural Disasters
From hurricanes to wildfires to prolonged power outages, environmental and natural disasters require advance planning, clear communication, and coordination across institutional units. These examples include both medical school-specific and broader higher education emergency plans:
- Stanford School of Medicine Department Emergency Plan (PDF). A current, comprehensive departmental emergency plan with a medical school context.
- Emergency Action Plan (PDF) (UC Riverside School of Medicine). A medical school emergency action plan.
- Indiana Tech Crisis Management Plan (PDF). A comprehensive institutional emergency management plan covering natural disasters and other hazards.
- Emergency Response Plan: Public Safety (Hofstra University). Covers a broad range of emergency scenarios including environmental events.
- Emergency Response Plan (LSU Health Sciences Center). Health sciences-focused emergency planning.
- Ready Campus (Ready.gov). Federal hub for campus emergency preparedness, including natural disaster scenarios.
Faculty/Staff/Student Death (Not by Suicide)
The unexpected death of a student, faculty member, or staff colleague is one of the most profound crises a medical school community can face. How institutions respond, both in the immediate aftermath and in the weeks that follow, can significantly shape the community's ability to grieve and heal together.
The resources here are offered as examples and starting points. Every community is different, and your response will inevitably need to reflect your own institutional culture, relationships, and circumstances.
Community response and communication:
- Postvention: A Guide for Response to Suicide on College Campuses (Higher Education Mental Health Alliance). Though framed around suicide, much of this guide's community response framework is applicable to any sudden student death.
- Responding to a Student Death: How to Create a Proactive Response Plan for Your Campus (PDF) (Innovative Educators). A presentation-based resource covering proactive planning for student death response; developed for higher education professionals.
- Aftermath of Tragic Events: The Development and Use of Community Support Meetings on a University Campus (Journal of American College Health). Guidance on facilitating community gatherings following loss.
Planning ahead:
- Guidelines for Medical Schools Managing Unexpected Student Death (UC San Diego School of Medicine). A framework for institutional planning and response.
- Crisis Management Toolkit (USF Health). Includes templates and resources for managing a range of crises in a health sciences context.
Mass Casualty
Mass casualty events, whether on or near campus, require rapid coordination across institutional, local, and sometimes national response systems. The resources here offer frameworks and examples for thinking through your institution's role and responsibilities in these scenarios:
- Emergency Response Plan: Public Safety (Hofstra University). Comprehensive plan covering mass casualty scenarios.
- Emergency Response Plan (LSU Health Sciences Center). Health sciences-specific framework.
- Indiana Tech Crisis Management Plan (PDF). Includes mass casualty response protocols.
- Ready Campus (Ready.gov). Federal preparedness guidance for campus mass casualty scenarios.
Mental Health Crisis
Not every mental health concern rises to the level of a crisis, and one of the most important skills student affairs professionals can develop is knowing when a situation crosses that threshold. Generally, a mental health crisis involves a student who presents a danger to themselves or others, or who is no longer able to care for themselves. These moments call for rapid, coordinated response and a clear understanding of your institution's local resources and referral pathways.
Because mental health resources are so regionally and institutionally variable, we especially encourage you to use this section as a starting point for identifying and documenting the specific resources available in your own context, ideally before you need them.
Questions to consider as you prepare:
- What is your institution's protocol for a student who is in acute mental health distress?
- Who is available after hours and how are they reached?
- What local emergency psychiatric resources exist, and what is the process for connecting students to them?
- How does your institution communicate with students' families in a mental health crisis, and what consent considerations apply?
National resources:
- Physician Support Line. A peer support resource specifically relevant to the medical school context, 1-888-409-0141 is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988; available 24/7 for individuals in crisis and for those supporting someone in crisis.
- 988 Lifeline: Support for Suicidal Individuals (PDF). A practical guide for those helping someone in crisis.
Training and awareness resources:
- Mental Health First Aid Training (National Council for Mental Wellbeing). Evidence-based training program for recognizing and responding to mental health crises.
- Be There Certificate Training (SAMHSA). Online suicide prevention training designed for post-secondary environments.
- 10 Stages of Acute Stress Management (National Center for Emotional Wellness). A framework for understanding acute stress responses.
Preparatory steps and checklists:
- Foundation Framework for Developing Institutional Protocols for the Acutely Distressed or Suicidal College Student (PDF) (Jed Foundation). A framework for developing or revising campus protocols for responding to acutely distressed or suicidal students, covering safety response, psychiatric hospitalization considerations, post-crisis follow-up, leave of absence, and reentry planning.
- Mental Health Support Toolkit for Faculty and Staff (UAB). Covers recognizing student distress, referral guidance, and consultation resources for faculty and staff.
- College and University Crisis Response Checklist (National Center for Emotional Wellness). A practitioner-developed checklist covering fact-gathering, stakeholder notification, communications, and aftercare, with an emphasis on addressing emotional and psychological needs alongside operational response.
- Mental Health Crisis Response on Campus (Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health). A comprehensive toolkit supporting campuses in building a whole-campus approach to mental health crisis response, including policy recommendations, templates, training resources, and guidance on moving from department-specific to coordinated institutional response.
Post-crisis response:
- Crisis Outreach Packet (Indiana University). Medical school resources for support following mental health crises.
- Ready Campus (Ready.gov). Federal resource that includes behavioral health components of campus emergency planning.
- Support Groups and Services for Emergency Responders and Healthcare Workers (Green Cross). Frontline support resources for those responding to crisis.
For post-suicide response resources, refer to the Suicide Response section.
Security Incidents/Active Shooter
Preparing for security incidents, including active shooter scenarios, is an uncomfortable but important part of campus safety planning. We recognize that this is an area where planning must be paired with regular training and community awareness. The resources below represent a range of institutional examples and federal guidance:
- Active Shooter Preparedness Action Guide (PDF) (CISA). The most current federal guidance on active shooter preparedness; published June 2025 by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
- Active Shooter: How to Respond (PDF) (DHS). A foundational booklet on individual and organizational response.
- Active Shooter Resources (University of Rochester Medical Center) A health sciences-specific active shooter preparedness resource.
- Active Shooter and Workplace Violence (University of Miami Miller School of Medicine). Institutional guidance from a medical school context.
- Emergency Response Plan: Public Safety (Hofstra University). Comprehensive plan that includes security incident protocols.
- Stanford School of Medicine Department Emergency Plan (PDF). Medical school emergency plan with security incident guidance published in 2025.
- Emergency Response Plan (LSU Health Sciences Center). Includes active shooter and security threat protocols for a health sciences campus.
- Indiana Tech Crisis Management Plan (PDF). Comprehensive plan including security incidents, updated in 2022.
Substance Use/Overdose
Students experiencing substance use concerns or acute overdose situations may come to the attention of student affairs professionals in a variety of ways. Being prepared means knowing your institution's protocols, your state's laws around medical amnesty, and the local emergency resources available to students:
- Opioid Overdose on Campus: Key Steps to Expand Harm Reduction Efforts (NASPA, SAFE Project, and HECAOD). Includes a practical checklist of building blocks for campus overdose prevention and response.
- Federation of State Physician Health Programs. Member directory of programs that provide confidential assessment, referral to treatment, and monitoring for physicians and those in training who may be at risk of impairment from substance use disorders.
National resources:
- SAMHSA National Helpline. 1-800-662-HELP (4357); free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral and information service.
- Overdose Prevention (CDC). Federal guidance on overdose prevention and response, including naloxone information.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Also available to support mental health crises connected to substance use; call or text 988.
Suicide Response
Responding to a student suicide, whether the student has died or survived a serious attempt, is among the most painful and complex situations student affairs professionals navigate. Done thoughtfully, a postvention response can support community healing and reduce further risk. Done poorly, it can inadvertently cause harm.
We recommend familiarizing yourself with evidence-informed postvention principles before a crisis occurs, so that when the moment comes, you are not building from scratch.
Institutional toolkits and frameworks:
- After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Medical Schools (PDF) (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention). Comprehensive and specifically designed for medical school communities; covers immediate response, communication, and longer-term postvention.
- Guidelines for Medical Schools Managing Unexpected Student Death (PDF) (UC San Diego School of Medicine). A planning framework for medical schools.
- Postvention: A Guide for Response to Suicide on College Campuses (Higher Education Mental Health Alliance). A thorough postvention guide primarily oriented toward undergraduate settings but broadly applicable.
- Guidelines for Responding to the Death of a Student or School Staff (PDF) (National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement). Practical resources for schools responding to the death of a student or staff member.
Communications resources:
- Crisis Communication Leadership in Higher Ed (PDF) (University of Miami). A case study on coordinating institutional voice, messaging strategy, and communications leadership during a crisis.
- School Safety and Crisis Planning Toolkit (School Superintendents Association). A collection of planning resources addressing mental health, physical safety, and crisis preparedness for educational settings.
National crisis resources:
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Available 24/7 for individuals in crisis and for those supporting someone who is struggling; call or text 988.
- 988 Lifeline: Support for Suicidal Individuals (PDF). A practical reference for providers and those supporting someone at risk.
If you have resources to contribute, links to flag, or feedback on this page, please contact learnersupport@aamc.org.
Last reviewed: 2026.