This booklet provides broad guidelines to assist schools and communities in creating individual crisis response plans. The introduction recommends that each school needs to individualize guidelines to encompass community resources (clergy, mental health, and law enforcement agencies). The section on the role of the school notes that schools act "in loco parentis" and thus are compelled to act in a reasonable and prudent manner. The second section on getting started claims that districts and schools should assess district needs and develop policy, procedures, and/or guidelines. Ten questions to include in a school plan are listed. Ten issues facing schools in crisis are listed. Response team membership and its functions are described. Topics which need to be covered in prevention training for response teams, school personnel, and parents and community are listed. Twenty-one items important to the intervention phase of crisis response are listed. Eleven items important to the postvention phase of crisis response are listed. Forms for resource listing, a checklist of guidelines for response plans, and sample forms for at-risk status, suicide potential, and an action plan are included. (ABL)