Crisis Intervention: Life-Threatening Incidents

A crisis can be defined as a turning point, our habitual strengths and coping mechanisms have been surpassed and a new approach has to be developed. According to Barnes (1984:115) “crisis intervention focuses on the reduction of anxiety in the client alongside the mobilisation of hope and the restoration of a sense of autonomy and control over the situation.

Crisis intervention involves three components: 1) the crisis, the perception of an unmanageable situation; 2) the individual or group in crisis; and 3) the helper, or mental health worker who provides aid. Crisis intervention requires that the person experiencing crisis receive timely and skillful support to help cope with his/her situation before future physical or emotional deterioration occurs.

The Assessment Crisis Intervention Trauma Treatment (ACT) model was developed by Albert Roberts after the September 11th terrorist attacks. The way it works is mental health professionals, will follow a series of seven steps when responding to a crisis. The most notable include: assess the danger, establish psychological conduct, identify major problems, encourage the exploration of feelings, examine alternative strategies, implementing the plan and following up. The combination of these factors is designed to provide everyone with tools to effectively address the crisis. (Roberts, 2005)

At the beginning of the semester, deputy director of the SAFE Center Laura Ardito described the needs regarding crisis intervention as follows:

Although not everyone that comes across a stressor in life will experience a crisis, some are unable to cope with the stressor in a healthy manner and eventually succumb to a crisis. If this person does not receive the adequate crisis intervention during this state, he or she is likely to be unable to function at the level he or she had been functioning before the crisis. This will inevitably lead to additional crisis scenarios for every stressor they must face in life. “This pattern can go on for many years until the person’s ego is completely drained of its capacity to deal with reality; often such people commit suicide, kill someone, or have a psychotic breakdown.” (Kanel, K. 2007).

The main concern both during and after a crisis incident is the students’ physical safety and mental well-being (Kousky, 2016). Disasters can damage children’s physical and mental health (Kousky 2016). To help children cope after a crisis, I would use the person center model during individual therapy. For instance, during person center therapy, counselors are genuine, and authentic (Corey, 2017). They are sensitive and understands the clients’ experience and feelings (Corey, 2017). Person center therapy also has an application to crisis intervention that I could apply after a crisis. After a crisis, people want to be heard and understood (Corey, 2017). It is important for me to listen, hear, and understand what they are going through.

What is a crisis? A crisis is a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger. It’s also something that can just happen randomly at any point in time, that you are never prepared for. It’s a disaster that can never be prepared for. My disaster I’m going to write about is the aftermath that I got to experience personally of a crisis. On April 27th 2011, a massive tornados stretched across Mississippi, Georgia, and broke through Alabama, 60 to be exact. One especially destroyed Ohatchee Alabama and Shoal Creek Valley.

A., & Spillan, J. E. (2014). Crisis management in the new strategy landscape (2nd Ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE. Retrieved April 25, 2018.

Crandall, W., Parnell, J. A., & Spillan, J. E. (2014). Crisis management in the new strategy landscape (2nd Ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE. Retrieved April 25, 2018.

Crisis counseling general going on for a time of no longer than half a month. Emergency intervention is centered on limiting the worry of the occasion, giving enthusiastic support and enhancing the individual's adopting procedures in the without a moment's hesitation (Jackson Rainer, 2011). Similar to psychotherapy, emergency directing includes appraisal, arranging and treatment, yet the extent of is for the most part substantially more particular. While psychotherapy concentrates on a broad scope of data and customer history, emergency evaluation and treatment focuses on the client's prompt circumstance including variables, for example, security and quick needs. While there are various distinctive treatment models, there are various regular

Crisis is a part of everyday life and can occur in many different forms (Fortinash & Worret, 2012). It can be external, resulting from events and circumstances within the environment, or crisis can be internal, resulting from within the person (Fortinash & Worret, 2012). Crisis can be bad experiences that can turn into positive opportunities, or it can lead to a person’s downfall (Fortinash & Worret, 2012). The way crisis affect patients all depends on their ability to cope (Fortinash & Worret, 2012).

The concepts of crisis became very meaningful in understanding the essential building block in the structure of human growth and development. As a crisis counselor, the goal is to assist individuals in restoring equilibrium to their biopsychosocial functioning and to minimize the potential for psychological trauma. In addition, children and adults experience crisis in different ways. Therefore, I have connected Erikson’s developmental and situations, crisis theory in understanding the social and cultural factors. Learning that when a community is in crisis their cultural perspective, religious values, and beliefs are affected (Corey, 2013). Therefore, the language I choose to use will have a significant impact on the clients (Jordan, 2007).

Crisis intervention is designed to provide an immediate response to interrupt and reduce tpotentially adverse, and on occasion, fatally harmful consequences. Its objective is to restore an individual’s level of functioning to that which was experienced prior to the events that triggered the crisis.

Swift and efficient psychological first aid is imperative in order to ensure that individuals do not develop any lasting psychological reactions. The first thing that a disaster mental health responder must do is to make

Crisis according to Laura (2013, p. 51), can be defined as any situation that threatens harms or cause panic among people. Crisis may occur due to accidents, war, and flood or fire attack. During this period, the public, who may be affected by the crisis because they are found in the situation or their next of kin are involved in it, rely on a lot of information that is relayed by the media. Because of this, the media must be careful of what they report. The information that the media convey to the public according to Laura (2013, p. 50) may cool the situation, and reduce the tension that has been built by the parties concerned. However, if they are not mindful of