DEATH ON CAMPUSES: COMMON POSTVENTION STRATEGIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to expand on E. S. Zinner's (1985a) postvention recommendations and, given R. L. Wrenn's (1991a) conclusion that 62% of institutions have not created a postvention plan, describe how to develop a death response team (DRT) to deal with campus fatalities. The basic components of a DRT that are examined include the team's development, family and faculty notification, psychological first aid to assist students, community postvention strategies, documentation, and staff training. Information on how postvention strategies vary according to the student's group membership, type of death, and institution's resources is also presented. It is concluded that present postvention literature has expanded on E. S. Zinner's suggestions, although additional research is still needed. Recommendations are made to modify counseling training programs, obtain the support of key administrators, recognize that a DRT cannot plan for everything, and provide ongoing bereavement support for students.

This article is based on an alternative paper that the author completed for the Counseling and Student Personnel program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The author would like to greatly thank Dr. Jacqueline Lewis for her assistance in editing and organizing the paper.