CHCCCS019

Recognise and respond to

crisis situations
Learner Guide

CHCCCS019 – Learner Guide

Version 1.2 - February 2019
Southern Cross Education Institute
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CHCCCS019
Recognise and respond to crisis situations
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Table of Contents

Table of Contents 2
Unit of Competency 5
Performance Criteria 6
Foundation Skills 7
Assessment Requirements 8
Housekeeping Items 10
Objectives 10
1. Identify imminent crisis situations 11
1.1 – Recognise and respond to signs indicating that there may be safety issues for people 12
Crisis intervention 12
Recognising and responding to signs of safety issues 12
Situational awareness 12
How to recognise safety issues 13
How to respond to safety issues 14
1.2 – Consider indicators from direct and indirect communications that suggest the presence of safety
issues 15
Indicators of safety issues 15
1.3 – Ask directly about safety issues whenever there are grounds for concern, and take immediate
action based on organisation’s procedures 16
Addressing safety issues directly 16
Taking action based on organisation’s procedures 17
2. Address immediate safety concerns 18
2.1 – Listen empathetically to details of current crisis situation 19
The benefits of empathic listening 19
Being mindful of personal values, beliefs and attitudes 19
The consequences of allowing values, beliefs and behaviour to affect practice 21
2.2 – Affirm and strengthen links to safety and living 22
Affirming and strengthening links to safety and living 22
2.3 – Provide structure and strategies for dealing with the immediate crisis through enabling thoughts
and behaviours 23
Providing strategies for dealing with crises 23
Coping with emergencies 23
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Developing effective structures and strategies 24

2.4 – Balance collaboration and direction according to the person’s current capacity for decision-making
and coping 25
Collaboration and direction 25
2.5 – Identify and agree actions to reduce immediate danger and risk to others, including mobilisation of
emergency assistance as required 26
Reducing immediate danger and risk to others 26
2.6 – Confirm that actions are legal, ethical, consistent with organisation policy and meet duty of care
requirements 27
Working legally, ethically and according to organisational policy 27
Sticking to the law 27
Types of statutory and legislative provisions in leisure and health 27
Organisation policies 28
2.7 – Seek advice or assistance from supervisor as required 29
Asking for advice 29
How to ask for advice 29
3. Provide referral for crisis intervention support 30
3.1 – Empower person to make informed choices about further help 31
Empowerment 31
3.2 – Explore possible barriers to seeking or accepting help and develop responses 32
Barriers to seeking or accepting help 32
Developing responses 33
3.3 – Develop a plan with the individual that includes agreed first steps to access and use informal
supports and professional help 34
Developing a plan 34
Informal support and professional help 34
3.4 – Refer to appropriate professionals as required 36
Referring to appropriate professionals 36
3.5 – Complete and maintain accurate documentation 38
Documenting strategy 38
Reviewing strategies 38
Maintaining records 39
4. Care for self 40
4.1 – Recognise and minimise risks to self associated with crisis support 41
Minimising risk to self 41
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4.2 – Identify and respond to the need for supervision and debriefing 42
The need for supervision 42
The need for debriefing 42
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Unit of Competency
Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to recognise situations where people may be in
imminent crisis, and then to work collaboratively to minimise any safety concerns and make plans to
access required support services.

This unit applies to any community services worker involved in crisis intervention. Management of the
crisis may involve face-to-face, telephone or remote contact with persons involved.

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation,
Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.
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Performance Criteria
Element Performance Criteria
Elements describe the Performance criteria describe the performance needed to
essential outcomes. demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Identify imminent 1.1 Recognise and respond to signs indicating that there may be
crisis situations safety issues for people
1.2 Consider indicators from direct and indirect communications
that suggest the presence of safety issues
1.3 Ask directly about safety issues whenever there are grounds
for concern, and take immediate action based on
organisation’s procedures

2. Operate within the 2.1 Listen empathetically to details of current crisis situation
policies and 2.2 Affirm and strengthen links to safety and living
procedures of the 2.3 Provide structure and strategies for dealing with the
leisure and health immediate crisis through enabling thoughts and behaviours
sector 2.4 Balance collaboration and direction according to the
person’s current capacity for decision-making and coping
2.5 Identify and agree actions to reduce immediate danger and
risk to others, including mobilisation of emergency
assistance as required
2.6 Confirm that actions are legal, ethical, consistent with
organisation policy and meet duty of care requirements
2.7 Seek advice or assistance from supervisor as required

3. Provide referral for 3.1 Empower person to make informed choices about further
crisis intervention help
support 3.2 Explore possible barriers to seeking or accepting help and
develop responses
3.3 Develop a plan with the individual that includes agreed first
steps to access and use informal supports and professional
help
3.4 Refer to appropriate professionals as required
3.5 Complete and maintain accurate documentation

4. Care for self 4.1 Recognise and minimise risks to self associated with crisis
support
4.2 Identify and respond to the need for supervision and
debriefing
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Foundation Skills
The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills)
that are essential to performance.

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of
competency.
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Assessment Requirements
Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and
performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role.
There must be evidence that the candidate has:

➢ Been involved in crisis intervention activities on at least 3 occasions.

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks
outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in
the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:

➢ Legal and ethical consideration relevant to recognising and responding to crisis situations
including:
o duty of care
o privacy, confidentiality and disclosure
o work role boundaries, responsibilities and limitations
o mandatory reporting
o codes of practice
➢ Organisation policies and procedures for responding to crisis situations
➢ Types of crisis situations, including:
o potential suicide
o threats to harm others
o self-harm
o received threats
o abuse, including child abuse
o domestic and family violence
➢ Common indicators or signs of crisis in other people
➢ Personal values, beliefs and attitudes that facilitate or impede crisis care:
o assumptions about who may be at risk
o common notions about crisis situations
➢ Principles and practices of crisis intervention:
o critical incident procedures
o facilitating emergency interventions
o addressing safety concerns
➢ Referral options and procedures for accessing services
➢ Principles and practices of self-care and supervision.
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Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated in a crisis support workplace or in a simulated environment that reflects
workplace conditions. The following conditions must be met for this unit:

➢ Use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources, including organisation policies, procedures
and resources
➢ Modelling typical workplace conditions and contingencies, including:
o interactions with people from a range of diverse backgrounds
o links to other services
o realistic, in-depth, validated industry scenarios and simulations of crisis situations.
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Housekeeping Items
Your trainer will inform you of the following:

➢ Where the toilets and fire exits are located, what the emergency procedures are and where the
breakout and refreshment areas are.

➢ Any rules, for example asking that all mobile phones are set to silent and of any security issues
they need to be aware of.

➢ What times the breaks will be held and what the smoking policy is.

➢ That this is an interactive course and you should ask questions.

➢ That to get the most out of this workshop, we must all work together, listen to each other,
explore new ideas, and make mistakes. After all, that’s how we learn.

➢ Ground rules for participation:

o smile

o support and encourage other participants

o when someone is contributing everyone else is quiet

o be patient with others who may not be grasping the ideas

o be on time

o focus discussion on the topic

o speak to the trainer if you have any concerns.

Objectives
➢ Discover how to identify imminent crisis situations

➢ Know how to address immediate safety concerns

➢ Learn how to provide referral for crisis intervention support

➢ Understand how to care for self

➢ Gain skills and knowledge required for this unit

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1. Identify imminent crisis situations

1.1. Recognise and respond to signs indicating that there may be safety issues for people

1.2. Consider indicators from direct and indirect communications that suggest the presence of safety
issues

1.3. Ask directly about safety issues whenever there are grounds for concern, and take immediate
action based on organisation’s procedures
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1.1 – Recognise and respond to signs indicating that there may be safety issues
for people

Crisis intervention
Crisis intervention refers to the methods used to offer short term immediate assistance to individuals
experiencing mental, physical, emotional and behavioural distress.

➢ The word ‘crisis’ is tough to define but in this context could mean:
➢ A nervous breakdown

➢ Potential suicide

➢ Self-harm

➢ Received threats

➢ Abuse, including domestic and child abuse

➢ Exasperation of serious mental illnesses.

➢ Crisis intervention involves:

➢ Critical incident procedures

➢ Facilitating emergency interventions

➢ Addressing safety concerns.

Recognising and responding to signs of safety issues

Working in crisis intervention, there will always be potential safety issues to look out for, some of which
will be serious and some of them less so. In any case, it is vital that you recognise and respond to any
signs of trouble as soon as possible. The time it takes you to react to a safety issue will have real and
serious consequences for others; in extreme cases, it could even be the difference between life and
death.

But although there are always potential safety issues hovering just around the corner, that doesn’t
mean you need to exist in a constant state of heightened fear and paranoia – far from it. Instead, you
need to strike a balance between being in control but prepared for any eventualities.

This state of mind might best be termed ‘situational awareness.’

Situational awareness
Developing situational awareness will help you to recognise a threat early on and take measures to
avoid it. It involves being observant and identifying potential threats and dangerous situations before
they arise. As such, it is more of a mind-set than a hard skill and can therefore be cultivated by anyone.
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The first step towards situational awareness is to recognise that certain threats exist. Ignorance or
denial of a threat reduces an individual’s chances of reacting to that threat successfully. If and when a
threat becomes a serious safety issue, a complacent or apathetic individual will be taken completely by
surprise, whereas one who is alert and prepared will be able to react promptly.

Complacency and apathy are not the only hazardous states of mind. As mentioned, paranoia and
obsessive concern about safety and security can be just as dangerous. Humans are not designed to
operate efficiently in a state of heightened awareness for long periods. The body’s ‘fight or flight’
mechanism, whereby adrenaline is released into the bloodstream, is helpful in situations that arise
suddenly, but a constant stream of adrenaline and stress leads to mental and physical breakdown. You
simply can’t be aware and in control with so much going on in your mind and body.

Situational awareness is therefore about striking a balance between being relaxed and aware. If you can
do this, then when safety issues arise, you can heighten your awareness while calmly assessing the
problem. You will then react in good time and with appropriate measure.

How to recognise safety issues

Aside from practicing situational awareness, there are a number of other methods you can use to
recognise potential safety issues.

➢ Methods for recognising safety issues include:

➢ Observation

➢ Completing safety checklists

➢ Inspections

➢ Seeking feedback from clients via consultative processes, such as meetings, surveys or
suggestion box submissions

➢ Investigating accidents and incidents

➢ Reviewing injury or illness registers

➢ Monitoring statistics

➢ Recognising extraordinary behaviour

➢ Investigating complaints or reports of safety concerns.

It is worth looking at a few of these methods in detail.

➢ Observing daily activities

Regularly observing an individual’s activities will help you to spot and predict the presence of safety
issues.
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➢ You should ask questions, including:

➢ Does the client appear competent, comfortable and functional?
➢ Is the client’s personal and working environment safe?
o e.g. is there adequate ventilation and lighting?
➢ What potential problems might the client face in the near future?
As you observe your client, you may spot straightforward problems; action
should be taken to address these immediately.
For example, if a client of a fragile disposition is having trouble paying a bill
or working their central heating, failure to address these problems
immediately could lead to further complications.
If you find a situation where there is immediate or significant danger to
people, move those people to a safer location first and attend to the
hazard urgently.
Make a list of all the problems you can find, including the ones you know
are already being dealt with, to ensure that nothing is missed. You may use
a checklist designed to suit your workplace to help you find and make a
note of hazards.
➢ Seeking feedback
Ask your clients about any health and safety problems they have
encountered, any personal issues and any near misses or incidents that
have not been reported.
Surveys may also be undertaken to obtain information about matters such as workplace bullying, as well
as muscular aches and pains that can indicate potential complications.
➢ Review injury or illness registers
Analyse the client’s health records and look for injuries or illnesses that may reoccur and cause safety
issues. Check the client’s history for incidents and near misses and investigate any unresolved problems.

How to respond to safety issues

How you respond to safety issues will of course depend on the nature of the issue itself. In any case, you
should address the issue as soon as possible and always with the appropriate measures.
The manner in which you address safety issues is also important.
At all times, you should:
➢ Be assertive
➢ Remain calm
➢ Speak and act directly
➢ Stay organised
➢ Communicate with relevant parties
➢ Deliver instructions in a clear and concise way.
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1.2 – Consider indicators from direct and indirect communications that suggest
the presence of safety issues

Indicators of safety issues

Occasionally, safety problems arise suddenly and without warning, but in most cases there will be
indicators to alert you of the presence of safety issues. These indicators will vary according to your
specific job role and the nature of the service you provide. They can be broadly divided into two
categories: direct and indirect.

Direct indicators include:

➢ What a client says

➢ What a client’s family, friends, employers or carers say

➢ What a client does and how they generally behave.

Indirect indicators include:

➢ Alarms and alerts

➢ Monitoring systems

➢ Statistics

➢ Anecdotal evidence.

It is vital to consider both indicators from direct and indirect communications that suggest the presence
of safety issues. One type of indicator is not always enough to give you the full picture. You need a
range of information in order to intervene appropriate and effectively in times of crisis.
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1.3 – Ask directly about safety issues whenever there are grounds for concern,
and take immediate action based on organisation’s procedures

Addressing safety issues directly

As soon as a safety issue has been identified, you need to take immediate steps to fully understand the
issue and initiate action to address it. This means asking both yourself and the client threatened by the
safety issues a number of questions.

Questions to ask yourself include:

➢ How much time do I have to address the issue?

➢ What is the danger level?

➢ Who will the issue affect most?

➢ Who is responsible for performing and/or overseeing the

resolution of the issue?

➢ Can I isolate the issue?

➢ Can I take temporary measures to offset any risks to the

client’s wellbeing?

➢ Do I have everything I need to address the issue?

Meanwhile, questions to ask the client include:

➢ How are you feeling?

➢ For how long have you been experiencing these issues?

➢ How would you like me to help you?

➢ Is there anyone in particular I should contact?

These are not questions to be mulled over. You need to demand answers as soon as possible while
ensuring that they are the right ones.
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Taking action based on organisation’s procedures

Every organisation has its own procedures for addressing safety issues; a set of guidelines on how to
perform specific tasks in a way that mitigates health and safety risks to the client and his/her family,
friends and associates. Each employee should know, understand and follow their organisation’s safety
procedures and training should be performed in any area that the supervisor and/or employee deems
appropriate.

Work health and safety procedures ought to be set out in writing and made available to all employees.

Taking action could mean:

➢ Addressing the problem personally

➢ Contacting the relevant parties

➢ Organising a team to act

➢ Sending an appropriate staff member/team to address

the issue

➢ Providing face-to-face help

➢ Addressing issues remotely

o e.g. a community care worker may speak to an injured elderly person over the phone, offering
reassurance and providing instructions on what to do.
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2. Address immediate safety concerns

2.1. Listen empathetically to details of current crisis situation

2.2. Affirm and strengthen links to safety and living

2.3. Provide structure and strategies for dealing with the immediate crisis through enabling thoughts
and behaviours

2.4. Balance collaboration and direction according to the person’s current capacity for decision-
making and coping

2.5. Identify and agree actions to reduce immediate danger and risk to others, including mobilisation
of emergency assistance as required

2.6. Confirm that actions are legal, ethical, consistent with organisation policy and meet duty of care
requirements

2.7. Seek advice or assistance from supervisor as required

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2.1 – Listen empathetically to details of current crisis situation

The benefits of empathic listening

Empathic listening – also called ‘active’ or ‘reflective’ listening) is a way of listening and reacting to
another person that improves mutual understanding and trust. It is a vital skill for anyone to learn, not
least those working in crisis intervention, as it allows the listener to process and accurately interpret a
third party’s message, and then respond accordingly. It is especially valuable during times of crisis when
emotions are running high and information can often be distorted during the communication process.

Empathic listening:
➢ Improves trust and respect

➢ Allows people to express themselves clearly

➢ Leads to greater understanding of issues

➢ Creates a safe environment that is conducive to collaborative problem solving.

Empathic listening requires you to:

➢ Give the speaker your undivided attention

➢ Avoid judgement

o you should wait for all the facts and information before you
judge the relevance of what your speaker is saying

➢ Be quiet

o don’t feel like you have to reply to everything blow by blow

➢ Make sure you understand what you’re being told

o ask clarifying questions and restate what you understand the speaker to be saying.

Being mindful of personal values, beliefs and attitudes

Listening empathetically also involves being mindful of personal values, beliefs and attitudes as these
can have a major effect on your working practice. In some cases, your values, beliefs and attitudes will
facilitate crisis care – for instance, a strong belief in the value of hard work and punctuality – but at
other times, your personal values may impede crisis care.

Deconstruct assumptions about who may be at risk

There is a common, misguided notion that only certain people in society are vulnerable to personal
crisis. It is important to remember, however, that anyone can experience personal trouble, regardless of
ethnicity, culture, gender, age or wealth.

Avoid imposing your values on others

It is important that you refrain from imposing your own personal set of values and beliefs on the people
and clients/customers you work with, as this can lead to alienation and conflict. Your colleagues and
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clients/customers will have their own values and beliefs and only they should decide how to go about
their work and life.

Follow your organisation’s values

Your organisation will have developed its own set of values for guiding work practice and you should
stick to these principles as much as possible. Doing so will allow employees to provide a quality service
and will ensure that the organisation operates efficiently and effectively. Also, if everyone follows the
organisation’s guiding principles then there is less chance of there being tension or conflict between
employees.

Keep political, religious and spiritual beliefs to yourself

While everyone is free to believe what they wish, it is better to avoid expressing strong political,
religious or spiritual beliefs in the workplace. Such subjects are divisive and can easily lead to friction
between employees and clients/customers. This is detrimental not only to workplace morale but also to
the organisation’s performance levels and, therefore, profit margins.

Be mindful of your behaviour in the workplace

Over a 50 year working life, the average person spends 35% of their waking hours at
work. That’s a lot of time to spend with colleagues and customers, some of whom
you know and some you don’t. It is important, therefore, to be mindful of your
behaviour in the workplace and sensitive to others. If everyone does this, a friendly,
positive atmosphere will arise, the team will work more effectively and you yourself
will work more efficiently.

Being mindful of your behaviour means:

➢ Thinking more consciously
o make an effort to be more aware of what you’re saying and how you’re coming across
➢ Observing your actions
o we all have behavioural patterns, especially around the people we work with and for
o think about what works for you and what doesn’t work
➢ Avoiding self-absorption
o if you’re always thinking about yourself and your agenda, then you’ll rarely pause to consider
anyone else
➢ Using language carefully
o remember that words can be very powerful
o avoid using words that may cause offence, however soft or trivial you yourself might consider
them
➢ Learning to handle disagreements with diplomacy

o this does not mean being a pushover

o it is about being direct and assertive without resorting to insults or aggression

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➢ Not letting problems and frustrations impact your work

o if you have a problem, try to speak to someone appropriate about it

o don’t ignore the problem and let it affect your behaviour and performance

➢ Accepting others for who they are, as much as possible

o everyone is different; we are all products of our own genes and experiences

o no matter how much you argue with or berate someone, they are unlikely to change just for
you

➢ Respecting cultural differences

o Australia is a multi-cultural nation and its inhabitants have diverse values, beliefs and attitudes

o you don’t have to agree with or even understand the nuances of an individual’s culture, but you
should at least respect the fact that some cultures are different

➢ Consider cultural differences

o for instance, if working with indigenous Australians, recognise and respect that their cultural
and spiritual beliefs and attitudes may not necessarily align with your own.

The consequences of allowing values, beliefs and behaviour to affect practice

Allowing your values, beliefs and behaviour to affect your work is unprofessional and can have serious
consequences.

These consequences include:

➢ A decline in job performance levels

➢ Creating tension/conflict with the client or co-workers

➢ Offending clients

If you continue to allow your values and attitudes adversely affect your professional practice, you will
become a liability. You will risk alienating your peers and harming your organisation’s reputation and
therefore profit margins. On a personal level, you may also risk getting sacked, which could have a
significant impact on the rest of your career.
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2.2 – Affirm and strengthen links to safety and living

Affirming and strengthening links to safety and living

When working in crisis intervention, part of your job is to affirm and strengthen the links between
safety and living. Your client needs to understand the benefits of taking health and safety measures.

Specifically, you should affirm the importance of:

➢ A healthy diet

➢ Regular exercise

➢ Adequate rest

➢ Cleanliness and hygiene

➢ A hazard-free environment

➢ Adapting household and work environments according to

needs.

If the client has a comprehensive grasp of the importance of safety, they are more likely to live in an
ordered, responsible way and therefore will be more likely to avoid crises.
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2.3 – Provide structure and strategies for dealing with the immediate crisis
through enabling thoughts and behaviours

Providing strategies for dealing with crises

As mentioned in 2.1, every organisation should have its own structure and strategies for dealing with
immediate crises. These structures and strategies should facilitate quick and effective action and they
should enable employees to think and behave clearly and effectively.

Quick and effective action may help to ease the crisis and reduce its consequences.

However, in times of crisis, people are more likely to react reliably if they:
➢ Are well-trained and competent

➢ Take part in regular and realistic practice

➢ Have clearly agreed, recorded and rehearsed plans, actions and responsibilities

➢ Have access to open lines of communication

➢ Use fully-operational equipment

➢ Understand the organisation’s hierarchy of responsibility

➢ Have a comprehensive knowledge of all systems and procedures.

Coping with emergencies

There should also be special structures and strategies in place for dealing with emergencies that may hit
vulnerable clients.

The emergencies that require special response strategies include:

➢ Serious injuries

➢ Serious illnesses

➢ Allergic reactions

➢ Domestic violence

➢ Self-harm and suicide

➢ Environmental and domestic damage

o e.g. floods, gas leaks, fires, faulty electrics.

All of these emergencies could seriously threaten certain

individuals.
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Developing effective structures and strategies

To develop effective structures and strategies that enable thoughts and behaviour, you should:
➢ Consider what might happen and how the alarm should be raised

o think about how this will differ between day and night shifts, weekends and times when the
organisation is closed for business

➢ Plan what to do, including who to report to and how to call the emergency services

➢ Designate evacuation zones

➢ Install emergency lighting

➢ Understand which other key people you will need to contact,

including those who are able to provide technical and other
site-specific information if necessary, or first-aiders

➢ Plan essential procedures such as emergency shutdowns,

isolation or making processes safe

➢ Train all peers and members of staff to understand the

structures and strategies

o there will be times when, for one reason or another, you

cannot respond to a crisis immediately, so it’s vital to have backup on standby

➢ Make adaptations according to the specific needs of vulnerable clients.

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2.4 – Balance collaboration and direction according to the person’s current

capacity for decision-making and coping

Collaboration and direction

When working with clients experiencing tough times, as often as possible, you should seek to make
decision-making a collaborative process. However, sometimes you will have to make decisions on your
client’s behalf. Knowing when to collaborate and when to take sole responsibility is a matter of skill,
experience and intuition, but in any case you will have to make the call according to your client’s current
capacity for decision-making.

Before you can make a decision for someone, you must have a reasonable belief
that the individual is unable to make decisions for themselves.

You should consider:

➢ Whether the individual has a general understanding of what decisions

need to be made

➢ Whether the individual has a general understanding of the

consequences of their decision

➢ Whether the individual shows this general understanding in the way they behave.

If the decisions are straightforward and related to day-to-day activities then the client’s family, friends
and associates may be able to collaborate with them.

If the decisions are more difficult, such as giving consent to medical treatment, then a health
professional may have to assess the client.
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2.5 – Identify and agree actions to reduce immediate danger and risk to others,
including mobilisation of emergency assistance as required

Reducing immediate danger and risk to others

It is important to safeguard the people you work with at all times. This involves identifying and agreeing
actions to reduce immediate and risk – not just to specific individuals but also to those around them.

Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone, including all health and community workers.

Actions to reduce danger and risk to others include:

➢ Removing hazards

➢ Adapting home and work environments to suit specific needs

➢ Establishing procedures for reporting any issues

o the client’s family, friends and peers should be aware of these procedures too

➢ Establishing emergency assistance measures

➢ Holding regular review and consultation sessions

o the client’s family, friends and peers should also attend

these sessions

o the aim of such sessions is to discuss any issues or problems

the client may have, and to plan courses of action to mitigate
their potential effects

➢ Planning a routine for vulnerable clients

➢ Courses of medication

o in certain cases, medication may help to reduce the danger and risk posed to others by
vulnerable clients.

Guiding principles for taking action to reduce immediate danger and risk to others include:
➢ Prevention

➢ Protection

➢ Proportionality

➢ Empowerment.

At all times, remember that interventions should be aimed at making life easier and safer.
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2.6 – Confirm that actions are legal, ethical, consistent with organisation policy
and meet duty of care requirements

Working legally, ethically and according to organisational policy

Whether you’re an employee or an employer, it is important to always make sure you are taking actions
that are legal, ethical and consistent with organisation policy – and not just because it is the right thing
to do. Engaging in illegal or unethical behaviour could result in serious consequences for you, your
employer and your client. You might risk your job and career, you could jeopardise your integrity and
any criminal conduct could result in prosecution.

Sticking to the law

As part of your job responsibilities, you should:
➢ Learn about the relevant laws, rules and regulations that affect your job role, including specific
duty of care requirements

➢ Attend periodic training and seek to keep up with any legal developments

➢ Consult with the legal department if you have any questions about the applicability, existence
or interpretation of any law or regulation.

Types of statutory and legislative provisions in leisure and health

In Australia, there are civil laws related to various matters, including:
➢ Negligence

➢ Dignity of risk

➢ Liability exposure

➢ Duty of care

➢ Standards of care

➢ Codes of practice

➢ Instruction and supervision

➢ Privacy, confidentiality and disclosure

➢ Work role boundaries, responsibilities and limitations

➢ Mandatory reporting

➢ Health and safety.

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What’s legal isn’t always ethical

It’s also worth remembering that just because something is legal doesn’t mean it is ethical.

For instance, it is not against the law to lie, break a promise or cheat at cards but most people would
consider these things unethical.

The only way to ensure that you’re professional practice is ethical and legal is to assess and confirm
your behaviour against your organisation’s principles and the relevant laws.

Organisation policies
A policy is a course of action intended to direct a company’s day-to-day operations and bring a
company’s vision to life. It identifies the key activities and provides a general strategy for decision-
makers on how to handle issues as they arise. To make certain that the policies are understood,
employers often write them down; they only change when the company changes.

As an employee, it is important that you read all the relevant organisation policies and discuss them
with your colleagues and team. Policies help employees to clearly understand their roles and
responsibilities within predefined limits.

Benefits of policies
Policies benefit employees by:
➢ Allowing them the freedom to get on and perform their job role using their own initiative

➢ Empowering them to make their own decisions

➢ Helping them understand the limitations of their job without

using a ‘trial and error’ approach

➢ Enabling them to clearly understand individual team

responsibilities, therefore saving time and resources

➢ Allowing managers to exercise control by exception rather

than ‘micro-manage’ their staff

➢ Establishing a culture of openness and equality, where each

member of staff has the same access to and opportunities for
professional development

➢ Providing legal protection

o if written clearly so that outsiders understand, the company has better legal footing if
challenged in court.
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2.7 – Seek advice or assistance from supervisor as required

Asking for advice

You are not expected to know everything and there is no shame in asking advice. In fact, there is real
value in seeking advice or assistance when it is required, and most of your peers and colleagues will be
more than happy to help.

You should seek advice or assistance from your supervisor because:

➢ Doing so will speed up the process of helping your client

➢ You will learn

➢ You will make a good impression

➢ You will become more productive and experienced in the long run

➢ You will access knowledge and points of view you had not previously
considered

➢ You, in turn, will be able to provide advice or assistance to others

➢ You will provide a better overall service.

How to ask for advice

Asking for advice can seem like an awkward task. A lot of people feel guilty for interrupting others and
are weary of taking up too much of their time.

However, seeking advice or assistance is easy and requires you to outline only the:
➢ Context – what specific information does the listener need in order answer your question?

➢ Goal – what are you trying to achieve?

➢ Struggle – what specifically is stopping you from achieving your desired outcome?

Remember that there is no point in being a martyr; in toiling away and torturing yourself to find
answers on your own when you could simply ask someone else for help.
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3. Provide referral for crisis intervention support

3.1. Empower person to make informed choices about further help

3.2. Explore possible barriers to seeking or accepting help and develop responses

3.3. Develop a plan with the individual that includes agreed first steps to access and use informal
supports and professional help

3.4. Refer to appropriate professionals as required

3.5. Complete and maintain accurate documentation

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3.1 – Empower person to make informed choices about further help

Empowerment
The process of empowerment involves helping individuals to take more control over their lives.
Empowering people means boosting their confidence and self-esteem, and giving them the tools and
support needed to enjoy autonomy and make informed decisions. In so doing, the individual can
practice a variety of skills, including leadership, problem-solving, organisation and decision-making
skills.

Empowering involves:
➢ Providing the necessary tools for client independence

➢ The training and development of the client’s skills

➢ Encouragement

➢ Active listening skills

➢ Offering help and support

➢ Positive reinforcement

➢ Giving strong feedback and good advice

➢ Enthusiasm.
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3.2 – Explore possible barriers to seeking or accepting help and develop

responses

Barriers to seeking or accepting help

There are many potential barriers to an individual seeking or accepting help.

Stigma and embarrassment

This is perhaps the most common all the barriers. Public, perceived and self-stigmatising attitudes
towards personal issues (such as mental health problems) can lead to an embarrassment and/or fear of
seeking or accepting the need for help. There is also a general concern among younger people about
what others, including community support workers, may think of them.

Problems recognising symptoms

A lot of people simply don’t know what kind of warning signings to look for when they’re headed for a
personal crisis. One study has even found that young people who are aware of their distress often alter
their definition of ‘normal’ so as to avoid the potential distress of seeking help.

Reluctance to acknowledge problems verbally

Some people cope with problems by shutting off their emotions and ignoring them. As a consequence
they’re often reluctant to verbally acknowledge their problem, as the problem
may then feel much worse.

A feeling that no one will understand

An individual might not bother to seek or accept help through a misconceived
notion that no one will understand them.

Preference for self-reliance

Another common barrier to seeking or accepting help is the preference of most
people for self-reliance. This stems from the aforementioned common
misconception that to seek help is to displace weakness or incapability.

Confidentiality and trust

A major concern for some people is a lack of trust with respect to the potential source of help.
Individuals may fear judgement or a breach of confidentiality.

Hopelessness
Sometimes, an individual may simply believe that there is nothing that can be done to help; that their
situation is hopeless.
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Developing responses
The response to a particular barrier will vary according to the nature of the barrier itself, but it is
possible to identify several broad responses.

Focussing on positive past experiences

Many individuals have negative past experiences of seeking and accepting
help. Perhaps their requests for help were ignored or rejected. Maybe they
found it difficult to accept help even when it was offered. In any case, there
will always be one or two positive ways of looking at past experiences. To
encourage a client to seek or accept help in the present or the future, it is
important to encourage them to think about how asking for help in the
past has helped them. This will increase the likelihood of them seeking or
accepting help.

Providing social support and encouragement

It is important, generally, to always provide social support and encouragement to clients who are
vulnerable or particularly predisposed to encountering various crises. Influences such as supportive
friends, family and peers can play a huge role in overcoming barriers to seeking or accepting help.

Improving emotional intelligence and mental health literacy

One of the most important factors in help-seeking is the ability and confidence to identify and articulate
emotions, and an ability to recognise and understand the symptoms of mental health problems. If an
individual can understand the need for help, they will be more likely to ask for and accept it.
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3.3 – Develop a plan with the individual that includes agreed first steps to
access and use informal supports and professional help

Developing a plan
Once you are allocated a particular client, you should work with them to develop a plan for crisis
intervention.

The plan should cover:

➢ The first steps to take in the event of a crisis

➢ Any and all services accessible to the client

➢ Informal support contacts and structures

➢ Professional help available to the client.

Informal support and professional help

You should be sure to provide the client with the right information at the right times, and ensure they
have access to all relevant services, including informal support contacts and structures such as
counsellors, mentors and a 24 hour support network. Access to services and the provision of
information should cover all your client’s needs and provide them with options to avoid domestic abuse
situations.

Legal information and services

In many situations, you will have to inform the client of their legal rights and what legal action they can
take to address their needs. You may be able to provide this information yourself, but it can often be
advantageous to involve legal professionals to assist and address the person’s unique case.

In other cases, it may be necessary to provide your clients with legal services. If they need to take legal
action in the courts, they may need the support of lawyers and specialist advisers.

Medical information and services

Certain situations can often lead to people suffering physical injuries or illness. It is vitally important that
your client can access the appropriate medical help if they suffer injuries. Your job should also involve
educating the client about how they can seek medical help and when they should do this.

Economic support
You may need to obtain funding to support your client. Quite often, people will not have access to the
financial resources which would help them to address their needs. Certain funding services exist at
governmental level and from charities. You may need to make applications for funding on behalf of your
client, or assist them in making their own applications.

Community support groups

 Page | 35

Community support groups can also play an important role in addressing a client’s needs. You may be
able to provide contact details for relevant support groups or introduce the client to the relevant group
leaders.
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3.4 – Refer to appropriate professionals as required

Referring to appropriate professionals

In some cases, your skills, knowledge and experience may not be enough to adequately address the
client’s needs. This therefore necessitates the help of appropriate professionals.

Identifying the appropriate parties to approach for help is vital. You must ensure that the person can
improve the client’s situation with their input.

You may find others who can improve the client’s situation in the following groups.

Colleagues and peers

There may be others in your organisation who hold expertise or specialist knowledge in certain areas, or
who have more experience of dealing with the specifics of your client’s case. Don’t hesitate to ask for
advice or assistance from these people, as doing so can potentially make the difference to a client’s
situation.

You may want to seek advice from:

➢ Management personnel

➢ Colleagues in other departments

➢ Your supervisor

➢ Specialist team members.

Specialists
Seeking advice from specialists, whether they are internal or external to your organisation, can be an
important step. Often, these specialists will be able to suggest a number of hints, tips and strategies for
addressing the client’s needs.

Specialists will also be able to communicate

effectively with the client, and be able to deal with
difficult subjects in a sensitive manner.

Community groups
Community groups can be especially useful if the
client comes from a specific cultural background,
religion, or ethnic minority. Sometimes, people from
these groups will be more comfortable
communicating with people from their own cultural,
religious, gender, age, or social group and will benefit
from regular meetings.
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Government representatives
Government representatives can sometimes bring certain expertise to areas of care and support. For
example, they may be able to provide information, advice or funding when it comes to legal, medical,
transport and housing issues. Getting in touch with your local representative can often be the first step
in securing extra support for your client.

Family members and friends

The client’s family and friends can sometimes be useful when trying to encourage clients to open up and
talk about their problems. When personal or private issues arise which cause the client embarrassment
and/or shame, friends and family can provide much needed emotional support.

Support groups
Encouraging your client to attend support groups consisting of people who have faced the same
problems and difficulties as they have can make a big difference.

Support groups may include:

➢ Mental health support groups

➢ Drug and alcohol abuse groups

➢ Women’s networks and refuges

➢ Religious groups

➢ Professional associations

➢ Local councils and legal services

➢ State and commonwealth agencies.

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3.5 – Complete and maintain accurate documentation

Documenting strategy
You should document your strategy for crisis intervention.

In this plan, you should document:

➢ The client’s needs

➢ How those needs presented a challenge to you and your company

➢ How you overcame these challenges

o what adjustments you made

o who you consulted

o any extra funding you had to seek

o any special arrangements you made with local services

➢ Challenges that proved especially difficult or problematic.

Reviewing strategies
Once you have implemented your strategy, you should assess evaluate its level of success and review
each strategic step accordingly.

During the review process, you should:

➢ Consider the client’s reaction to your strategy (as well as the reactions of other key stakeholders
including carers, family members and friends)

o did the client benefit from your strategy

➢ Evaluate your strategy yourself

o be honest

o be fair

o compare the client’s appraisal with your own and try to identify similarities and
differences in opinion

➢ What you would do differently in the future.

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Maintaining records
It is also important to maintain records of the strategies you use for crisis intervention. Documents and
records can serve a number of functions. They can be used as a reference, to help future clients with
similar complex needs, and they can be used in a court of law should you or your company face
prosecution or litigation as a result of the service you provide.

Eventually, there should be a portfolio of documents and records of how you and your company
provided a service to clients with specific needs.

In this document, you should correlate the information from both the client’s individual program plan
and the review stage, including:
➢ The client’s needs

➢ How those needs presented a challenge to you and your company

➢ How you overcame these challenges

o what adjustments you made

o who you consulted

o any extra funding you had to seek

o any special arrangements you made with local services

➢ Challenges that proved especially difficult or problematic

➢ The client’s reaction to your strategy

➢ How effective your strategy was

➢ What you would do differently in the future.

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4. Care for self

4.1. Recognise and minimise risks to self associated with crisis support

4.2. Identify and respond to the need for supervision and debriefing
 Page | 41

4.1 – Recognise and minimise risks to self associated with crisis support

Minimising risk to self

In some instances, intervening in a client’s personal crisis may pose risks to your own safety. The client
is likely to be vulnerable and distressed, so you should be ready for behaviour that may be challenging
and out-of-character. You should also seek to emotionally detach yourself from the situation. It is all too
easy to get drawn in to a client’s personal situation and forget your professional responsibility to remain
calm, assertive and proactive.

Risks include:
➢ Verbal abuse

➢ Physical injury

➢ Threats.

Methods of minimising risk include:

➢ Enlisting the help of someone else

o in particularly risky cases, you’ll be safer if

someone else is present

o this someone could be a colleague or a member of the client’s friends or family

➢ Carrying alarms

➢ Stay in contact with colleagues

o inform the office both when you arrive at and leave a client appointment

➢ Keep your wits about you

o be prepared for the unexpected

➢ Be mindful of what you say and how you behave around vulnerable people, so as to avoid
triggering any behaviour that may pose a threat your safety

➢ Listen to your instinct.

In most cases, you will be safe and crisis intervention will pose no threat to your safety. However, you
should never take your safety for granted. Follow the steps above and consult your organisation’s
policies and procedures for guidance on self-care and supervision.
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4.2 – Identify and respond to the need for supervision and debriefing

The need for supervision

Occasionally, you will find that certain clients require supervision for a temporary pre-determined or
indefinite amount of time. This may be due to the severity of their case or a request on their behalf of
the behalf of their friends and family. Supervision is especially important where there is a physical risk
to the client’s safety.

In any case, there are several measures you need to put in place to ensure that the supervision is
effective.

Supervision should be:

➢ Agreed upon with the client

➢ Time-efficient

➢ Integrated with other activities

➢ Conducted regularly

➢ Low key and unobtrusive

➢ Documented.

The need for debriefing

Following any kind of crisis intervention action, it is important to debrief with the client – and
potentially their family, friends and/or colleagues – to go over the process you have undertaken.

Similar to the documentation outlined in 3.5, a debrief should cover:

➢ The client’s needs

➢ How those needs presented a challenge to you both

➢ How you overcame these challenges together

o what adjustments you made

o who you consulted

o any extra funding you had to seek

▪ any special arrangements you made with

local services

➢ Challenges that proved especially difficult or problematic

➢ Estimations of success.
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Congratulations!

You have now finished the unit 'Recognise and respond to crisis situations'.