Crisis Prevention Bonus Series Ep. 4: Measuring What Didn't Happen with Tona and Katie

In this episode of our Crisis Prevention Bonus Series, we’re exploring a tricky question: How do you measure something that didn’t happen? Joining us are two experts who bring perspectives from school-based prevention, behavioral health, and disaster response:

• Dr. Katie Meyer is a research associate with the Center for Behavioral Education and Research (CBER) at the University of Connecticut. She brings more than 10 years of experience supporting schools in implementing multi-tiered systems of support and is a member of the Center on PBIS Tier 2 and Tier 3 workgroup. Her research and professional interests focus on bridging the gap between research and practice to address students’ social, emotional, and behavioral needs, especially at the advanced tiers.
• Dr. Tona McGuire is a pediatric psychologist whose clinical work supports children and families dealing with chronic illness and traumatic injury. She is a Behavioral Health representative for the Washington State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee and co-developed the Health Support Team, a disaster behavioral health curriculum and training. She also served as co-lead for the Washington State Department of Health’s Behavioral Health Strike Team in response to the COVID pandemic.

In this episode, we explore how schools can determine which prevention efforts to prioritize and recognize whether those efforts are working when success may be reflected in challenges that never occur. Katie and Tona discuss the role of data and universal screening in identifying students who may need additional support, while emphasizing something even more fundamental: connection and belonging. We also talk about practical places to begin, including asking whether every student has a trusted person at school, collecting and analyzing data, and using what teams learn to strengthen prevention and support before a crisis occurs.