What To Do
When It Comes Up
For when a student's lyrics, poem, or written work raises a concern about their safety or wellbeing.
Hey —
We created this page because what we do invites students to be honest. That's the whole point. Sometimes being honest means a student writes something that tells you they're not okay. That's not a problem — that's the work working.
Your job in those moments is not to be a therapist. It's to notice, take it seriously, and hand it off to the right person the right way. This page walks you through exactly how to do that.
Read it. Know it. And when it happens — come back and use the form at the bottom to document it.
Refresh Collective Leadership
Read the work. Classify the situation using the three tiers below. When in doubt, treat it as the higher tier.
Direct threat of suicide or self-harm with explicit plan or method; stated intent to harm others; active abuse disclosure; ongoing safety emergency.
Heavy first-person themes of abuse, trauma, severe depression, or self-harm — but no explicit plan or imminent timeline.
Dark imagery, existential themes, heavy emotion — but no personal or imminent danger markers. May be powerful artistic expression.
These four steps happen in order. Don't skip ahead.
Assess the Tier
Read the work carefully. Use the Three-Tier Matrix above to classify the situation. A false alarm is always better than inaction.
Soft Check-In — Tier 2 and 3 Only
Find a calm, private moment. Keep your tone warm and non-alarming. This is not an interrogation — it's an open door.
- Do not promise secrecy. If they begin to disclose: "If you share something about harming yourself or someone else, I'm required to connect you with someone who can help."
- Listen. Validate. Do not diagnose. You're opening the door, not solving the crisis.
Direct Warm Handoff — Tier 1 and 2
This is the most critical step. Do not rely on email, text, or a note.
- Walk the student (or their work, if they're not present) directly to the School Counselor's office.
- Verbally brief the counselor — what you read, what the student shared.
- If the counselor is unavailable: escalate to the Social Worker or Assistant Principal immediately. Do not leave it unattended.
- After the student is with school staff: contact your RC market leader by text or phone — Doc in Cleveland, Lee in Cincinnati.
Submit the Incident Report
Complete the form at the bottom of this page for all three tiers. This creates the organizational record that protects both the student and you.
- Quote the student's exact words where possible.
- Record what you observed — not what you interpreted or diagnosed.
- Note the name and time of your handoff to school staff.
✗ Incorrect: "Student is severely depressed and suicidal."
Warm handoffs go to school staff first. RC leadership is notified in parallel for all Tier 1 and Tier 2 situations.
Hard stops. No exceptions.
⛔ Prohibitions
- Wait until the next day to act on a Tier 1 or Tier 2 concern
- Send an email, voicemail, or text message instead of a direct in-person handoff to school staff
- Promise a student that their disclosure will be kept completely secret
- Diagnose a student's mental health or use clinical labels in your documentation
- Leave a student alone if you believe they are in immediate danger
- Handle a Tier 1 or Tier 2 situation without notifying RC leadership — Doc or Lee — by phone or text
Read when you need deeper context. Required for all teaching staff.
Roles & Responsibilities
Teaching Artist / Staff Member: Identify red flags, conduct soft check-ins where appropriate, execute the verbal warm handoff, notify RC leadership, and submit the incident report form.
RC Market Leader (Doc / Lee): Receives notification for all Tier 1 and 2 incidents. Supports the teaching artist. Coordinates with site leadership and ensures documentation is complete.
Site Counselor / Social Worker / AP: First licensed professional responder at the school level. Receives the warm handoff, takes over student support, and determines next steps including CPS reporting where required.
Mandated Reporting — What You Need to Know
In Ohio, any person who suspects child abuse or neglect is encouraged to report it. As a professional working with youth, you have a moral — and in many cases legal — responsibility to act.
If a student's creative work or verbal disclosure explicitly describes ongoing physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; neglect by a caregiver; or witnessing domestic violence, the obligation to report is triggered.
Ohio CPS: 1-855-O-H-CHILD (1-855-642-4453). Always file in coordination with the school counselor. Contact Doc or Lee immediately if this situation arises.
Separating Art from Reality
Hip-hop has always been a space for processing pain, trauma, and hard truths. Dark themes in student lyrics are not automatically a crisis signal — that's part of why the work matters.
Signals that a disclosure may be personal rather than purely artistic:
- First-person language ("I want to," "I can't take it anymore") rather than narrative or fictional framing
- Specific details — dates, locations, methods, named people — rather than general imagery
- A noticeable change in the student's typical energy, mood, or engagement
- The student watching your reaction as you review their work
- Multiple pieces in a row with escalating intensity
When in doubt, the soft check-in exists exactly for this moment. It lets you open a door without assuming the worst. Trust your instincts.
Documentation Standards
Good documentation protects the student, protects you, and protects Refresh Collective.
- Record what was actually written or said, using the student's exact words where possible
- Record what you observed — student demeanor, emotional reaction — without interpretation
- Record what actions you took and the exact name and time of any handoff
- Do not use clinical diagnoses, psychological labels, or subjective interpretation
- Use student initials only — never a full name in written reports
Submissions go directly to Doc and Lee and are kept confidential within RC leadership.
Complete this form for all Tier 1, 2, and 3 situations. For Tier 1 and 2, submit after the student is safe and the handoff is done.
Use student initials only — never a full name. Record only what was actually said or written. You're not making a diagnosis here, just documenting what you observed and what you did about it.
Your submission goes directly to Doc and Lee.