NDE School Safety & Security Table of Contents
Get the Quick Link to the School Safety Webpage Topic Needed in the Table of Contents Below
Reunification Exercises:
Ainsworth – North Platte – Wahoo
The three area schools conducted mock scenarios of reuniting students with parents after an incident at their schools. The I Love U Guys Foundation led the training allowing the school personnel and first responders in attendance to play different roles to see what a reunification will look like in a controlled environment. This practice will aid in keeping their school communities safe and secure if an incident ever does happen.
The 2025 School Safety & Security Award could go to you, your school, or organization. Get someone to get your nomination in today! It could be you who is recognized at the School Safety Summit on October 16th, at the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA) building in Lincoln. More information can also be found on our Award webpage.
School Safety & Security Newsletter
Sign up list for the Newsletter Email. Once you sign up receive the quarterly updates in Nebraska School Safety and Security News. Keep up with the changes and new opportunities revealed every few months. Also catch up with what you may have missed in prior Newsletters.
Congratulations to the schools who were notified Friday April 4th, 2025, after the State Board approved the School Emergency Mapping Grant Awardee’s. More details will be delivered to these schools on how and when to get started with their project. For questions, contact ellen.d’amore@nebraska.gov or jay.martin@nebraska.gov.
Jay Martin, NDE School Safety & Security Director and Dr. Donald P. Belau, School Psychologist will be leading a webinar on social media’s impact on youth mental health. Registration is through Four Corners Health Department.
Mike Donahue Founder of Value-Up
The three things that can change the path of a potential incident in a school are having a Threat Assessment Team, Anonymous Report Services, and a Students Connection to an adult in school. Dr. Scalora and Dr. Bulling have been conducting the Basic Threat Assessment Trainings for schools. Safe2Help NE is the free anonymous report line available to schools utilizing the Boys Town’s call center licensed crisis counselors who are available 24/7 to take reports from students, parents and community members. Now with the Stronger Connections Technical Assistance and Capacity Building (SCTAC) three-year Grant NDE is able to bring Value-Up and Mike Donahue, the founder of the program, to schools across Nebraska. NDE will focus on ESU #13 schools this year.
Mike Donahue is a nationally known speaker living here in Nebraska who has a unique ability to create the connections and relationships between children and adults. After over three decades of working with youth, Mike has come to understand that so many teen issues are directly related to how students view themselves. If a student believes they have high intrinsic value and identify with that high value, they will make life choices that match their perceived value. If you would like to have Value-Up brought to your community or to learn more reach out on Value-Up.
On page 6 of the NCSA Today NDE, School Safety & Security Director Jay Martin was interviewed about all the School Safety Teams workload and the duties across the State that come with this position. Learn more from the NCSA article.
September 22, 2025 (8:00am to 5:00 pm MT) in Gordon, NE will be the 2025 Western Nebraska Mental Health Conference. For additional information click on the image or email mentalhealthconfernce@esu13.org. Registration is available on the PanhandlePartnership.com.
Put Them on School Buildings & Digital Platforms
in Recognition to
Place School Safety First
ESU 10 – Spring Mental Health Cadre
April 1, 2025 (9:00-3:00 CT)
The development and processes of district threat assessment teams. Gain understanding of the purpose of a threat assessment team, implement processes, templates/examples, and develop action plans
Planning for Support After a Suicide Death in Your School Community
April 2, 2025 (1:00-2:30 CT)
With suicide currently a leading cause of death among school-aged youth and adults, school professionals can find themselves suddenly immersed in trying to respond and recover from a suicide. Without clear protocols and resources solidly in place prior to the crisis, staff can be overwhelmed and unprepared to manage the situation.
This increases the risk of long-term instability and suicide contagion. This training helps schools plan their comprehensive response to suicide, so they can use best practices to immediately and effectively address a suicide death in their school community.
Planning for Support After a Suicide Death in Your School Community
April 3, 2025 (9:00-10:30 CT)
With suicide currently a leading cause of death among school-aged youth and adults, school professionals can find themselves suddenly immersed in trying to respond and recover from a suicide. Without clear protocols and resources solidly in place prior to the crisis, staff can be overwhelmed and unprepared to manage the situation.
This increases the risk of long-term instability and suicide contagion. This training helps schools plan their comprehensive response to suicide, so they can use best practices to immediately and effectively address a suicide death in their school community.
Psychological First Aid for Schools
April 9, 2025 (8:30-3:30 CT)
The goal of utilizing PFA-S is to help strengthen the team response and recovery process for dealing with hazards, threats, and incidents. The PFA-S response can assist students and staff in recovering from distressful reactions to a crisis and in building adaptive coping skills. PFA-S training is provided remotely through ZOOM and at no cost to schools and ESUs.
Look Up to Gain Digital Wisdom
April 9, 2025 (1:30-3:30 CT)
Student & Parent Presentations at Raymond Central Public Schools at 2:00. Learn how to become digitally wise with devices and social media platforms.
Coffee Connects
April 16, 2025 (8:00-9:00 CT)
Connect with Nebraska Educators across the state. Discussion on getting youth to look up to gain digital platform health, safety, and wisdom.
District Safety Meeting
April 16, 2025 (12:00-1:00)
In Blair, Nebraska. Meeting with school district and Blair community and first responders to discuss safety in their community.
Webinar with Dr. Don Belau – Social Media Influences, the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly
April 17, 2025 (12:00-1:00 CT)
This 60-minute webinar will focus on supporting youth mental health literacy by addressing threats to the emotional growth of youth. Tips to counter these threats are offered to school counselors, mental health professionals, parents/guardians, community youth leaders such as those in 4-H, scouting, faith leaders, e.g. are invited to attend.
These threats relate to digital social media platforms that have continued to negatively impact youth mental health. Youth who learn to look up from their phones gain digital health, safety, and wisdom. Jay Martin, NDE School Safety & Security Director in the Office of Coordinated Student Support Services, and Donald P. Belau, Ph.D. School Psychologist will be leading the webinar.
Click on the image to register and get the Zoom link for this event.
Look Up to Gain Digital Wisdom
April 21, 2025 (1:00-2:00)
At Kearney High School training the Middle and High School Staff on gaining digital health, safety, and wisdom.
Look Up to Gain Digital Wisdom
April 30, 2025 (1:30-2:30)
At Sarpy County Alternative School teaching students to look up and gain digital health, safety, and wisdom.
Look Up to Gain Digital Wisdom
May 1, 2025 (10:00-11:00 CT)
Student & Parent Presentation at Summerland Public Schools. Learn how to become digitally wise with devices and social media platforms.
Building Essential School Policies and Procedures for Addressing Suicide Concerns
May 1, 2025 (12:30-2:30 CT)
or
May 2, 2025 (9:00-11:00 CT)
This training will review key resources for Nebraska schools to ensure they have strong policies and procedures to address suicide concerns. With suicide being the 2nd leading cause of death for school-aged youth, it is essential that we continue to prioritize awareness, response, and recovery procedures as part of Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 interventions.
All training is FREE all you need to do is REGISTER!
Juvenile Justice Conference in Kearney – Look Up to Gain Digital Platform Health, Safety & Wisdom
May 7, 2025 (1:15-2:30 CT) Diamond 2 Room
Digital media-based companies use algorithms and artificial intelligence (A.I.) to capture personal data to program behavioral outcomes of youth. The intent of these money driven digital companies it to keep a child’s attention on their platform with no regard to how it is harming them. Understanding how deepfakes, A.I., misinformation, and emotional exploitation is occurring online is the first step to becoming a better digital consumer. Teens who learn to look up from their phones gain digital health, safety, and wisdom.
Mental Health Conference in Kearney
Presentation: Look Up to Gain Digital Platform Health, Safety & Wisdom
May 28, 2025 (11:00-11:45 CT) – Speaker Jay Martin, NDE School Safety & Security Director
Digital media-based companies use algorithms and artificial intelligence (A.I.) to capture personal data to program behavioral outcomes of youth. The intent of these money driven digital companies it to keep a child’s attention on their platform with no regard to how it is harming them. Understanding how deepfakes, A.I., misinformation, and emotional exploitation is occurring online is the first step to becoming a better digital consumer. Teens who learn to look up from their phones gain digital health, safety, and wisdom.
An Additionally at the Mental Health Conference
Presentation: Empowering Staff to Regulate Escalating Student Behavior
May 28, 2025 (1:30-2:15) Speakers, Kim Jacobson NDE Suicide Prevention Lead, Sally Carlson, NDE School Safety PFA-S Lead
Learning de-escalation strategies is a critically important skill for educators to calm down situations and avert behaviors that can threaten the safety and well–being of students and staff. Recent Nebraska legislation tasks schools with added accountability for managing behaviors. LB 70-262.01 states that by August, 2025, school employees with “behavioral management responsibilities” must participate in “behavioral awareness and intervention training.” This session prepares school mental health professionals with tools for training and educating staff to recognize and prevent escalating behaviors, so they are confident and ready to proactively manage behavioral concerns in the school environment.
NASCD “Real Talk” Workshop – Papillion LaVista
June 6, 2025 (9:00-3:00 CT)
Look Up to Gain Digital Platform Health, Safety, & Wisdom
Presentation (1:45-2:30 CT)
Digital media platforms have continued to negatively impact youth mental health. Media based companies use algorithms and artificial intelligence (A.I.) to capture personal data to program behavioral outcomes. The intent of digital companies is to keep a person’s attention on their platform without regard to how it is impacting a individual’s mental well-being. Understanding how deepfakes, A.I., misinformation, and emotional exploitation is occurring online is the first step to becoming a better digital consumer. Those who learn to look up from their phones gain digital health, safety, and wisdom.
School Health Conference – Kearney
June 10, 2025 (8:00-9:45 CT)
Presentation on Digital and Substance Use and how they are impacting Health and Well-Being of students. Correlating how these topics pertain to nurses and school health professionals.
Administrator Days 2025 – Kearney
July 23-25, 2025 (8:30-3:00 CT)
More to come…
More Presentations to come….Stay Tuned!
Western School Health Conference – Gordon, Nebraska
September 22, 2025 (9:00-2:45 MT)
Keynote presentation on digitally media’s impact on mental health. A breakout session on medical marijuana/high potency THC’s impact on schools and mental health. Panel discussion with students on school safety from their perspective. Parent Digital Wisdom presentation in the evening. Register at PanhandlePartnership.com.
Look Up to Gain Digital Wisdom
September 24, 2025 (1:00-7:00 CT)
Middle and High School Students, Staff & Parent Presentations at Gothenburg Public Schools at 1:00. Learn how to become digitally wise with devices and social media platforms.
After School Conference in Kearney, NE
September 26, 2025 (TBA)
More to come…
Look Up to Gain Digital Wisdom
October 1, 2025 (1:15-3:15 CT)
Middle and High School Student Presentations at Southern Public Schools at 1:15. Learn how to become digitally wise with devices and social media platforms.
Presentation #1:
Location: Southern Elementary School, 315 West 2nd Street, Blue Springs, NE 68318
Timeframe: 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Grades: 4-6 (Around 75 Students)
Presentation #1:
Location: Southern Jr./Sr. High School, 115 South 11th Street ,Wymore, NE 68466
Timeframe: 2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Grades: 7-12 (Around 175 Students)
Other Event & Training Opportunities
NCSA Events
Guidance - Resources - Posters
988 is the dialing code of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline effort, organized at the state level to meet the growing need for crisis intervention and saving lives.
Several resources are available to schools wanting more information or to register for Safe2Help NE. These include the following:
If there are additional questions about Safe2Help NE services, please contact jay.martin@nebraska.gov.
This series of 16 posters for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is perfect for printing, or for use on the web or in emails.
The “Reach Out For Help” poster describes where to get “Help for Others” (Safe2Help Nebraska), “Help for Self” (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and “Immediate Help” (911).
Substance Use Awareness
MORE INFO TO COME…
Relationships
MORE INFO TO COME…
