CC-14: COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY

Unit 4: Crisis Intervention

Introduction:
A crisis situation is, by definition, both short-term and overwhelming. As a result, crisis
situations require assessment and treatment methods that differ in a number of ways from
methods used in non-crisis situations. For example, crisis interventions are ordinarily
characterized by a "here-and-now" orientation, a time-limited course of intervention (typically 1-6
sessions), a view of the client's behavior as an understandable reaction to stress, and the assumption
that an active directive role is needed by therapists and others trained in crisis intervention
methods.
Definition and Types of Crises:
A "crisis" involves a disruption of an individual's normal or stable state. More specifically, a
crisis occurs "when a person faces an obstacle to important life goals that is, for a time,
insurmountable through the utilization of his customary methods of problem solving" (Caplan,
1961).
Crises are usually categorized as being either situational or maturational. Situational crises involve
unexpected event that is usually beyond the individual's control. Examples of situational crises
include natural disasters, loss of a job, assault, and the sudden death of a loved one. Maturational
crises occur when a person is unable to cope with the natural process of development.
Maturational crises usually occur at times of transition, such as when the first child is born, when
a child reaches adolescence, and when the head-of-the-household retires.

Caplan (1964) initially defined a crisis as occurring when individuals are confronted with
problems that cannot be solved. These irresolvable issues result in an increase in tension, signs of
anxiety, a subsequent state of emotional unrest, and an inability to function for extended periods.
James and Gilliland (2005) define crises as events or situations perceived as intolerably difficult
that exceed an individual’s available resources and coping mechanisms. Similarly, Roberts
(2000) defines a crisis as “a period of psychological disequilibrium, experienced as a result of a
hazardous event or situation that constitutes a significant problem that cannot be remedied by
using familiar coping strategies” (p. 7). The Chinese translation of the word “crisis” consists of
two separate characters, which paradoxically mean danger and opportunity (Greene, Lee, Trask,
& Rheinscheld, 2000). Crisis intervention thus provides opportunities for clients to learn new
coping skills while identifying, mobilizing, and enhancing those they already possess.

The following are characteristics of crisis events:

• The event precipitating the crisis is perceived as threatening.
• There is an apparent inability to modify or reduce the impact of stressful events.
• There is increased fear, tension, and/or confusion.
• There is a high level of subjective discomfort.
• A state of disequilibrium is followed by rapid transition to an active state of crisis.

The following are examples of crises:

• An accident (automobile or in home)
• Death/loss of a loved one

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• Natural disaster
• Physical illness (self or significant other)
• Divorce/separation
• Unemployment
• Unexpected pregnancy
• Financial difficulties

The difficulty in discriminating whether the events listed above constitute crises or traumas may
be obvious. A crisis is distinguished from a trauma by timing and by how quickly it is resolved.
Most crises develop into traumas; conversely, most traumas begin as crises. Socioeconomic
status, availability of emotional support, and the nature of the crisis will dictate how soon the
individual can resolve it and resume regular functioning.

A crisis is different from a problem or an emergency. While a problem may create stress and be
difficult to solve, the family or individual is capable of finding a solution. Consequently, a
problem that can be resolved by an individual or a family is not a crisis.

An emergency is a sudden, pressing necessity, such as when a life is in danger because of an

accident, a suicide attempt, or family violence. It requires immediate attention by law
enforcement, CPS, or other professionals trained to respond to life-threatening events. If a
situation can wait 24 to 72 hours for a response, without placing an individual or a family in
jeopardy, it is a crisis and not an emergency

Stages of Crises:
A crisis situation involves a sequence of events that leads individuals from "equilibrium to
disequilibrium and back again" (Golan, 1978). This sequence generally involves five
components:
1. The Hazardous Event: The hazardous event is a stressful circumstance that disrupts an
individual's equilibrium and initiates a series of actions and reactions. The hazardous event may
be anticipated (e.g., divorce, retirement) or unanticipated (e.g., thesudden loss of a family member).
2. The Vulnerable State: An individual's reaction to the hazardous event is ordinarily linked to
his/her subjective interpretation of the event. Most commonly, a hazardous event is perceived
either as a threat, a loss, or a challenge. The vulnerable state is characterized by an increase in
tension which the individual attempts to alleviate by using one or more of his/her usual coping
strategies. If these strategies are unsuccessful, the individual's tension continues to increase and,
as a result, he/she eventually becomes unable to function effectively.

3. The Precipitating Factor: The precipitating factor is the event that converts avulnerable state
into a crisis state. In some situations, the hazardous event and precipitating factor are identical; in
other situations, the precipitating factor follows the hazardous event (i.e., the precipitating factor
acts as the "last straw"). The precipitatingfactor may produce a variety of responses including, for
example, a suicide attempt or,more constructively, a desire to seek help.

4. Active Crisis State: The active crisis state is characterized by disequilibrium and normally
involves the following: physical and psychological agitation (e.g., disturbed appetite and/or

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sleep, impaired concentration and problem-solving ability, anxiety, or depression), preoccupation
with the events that led to the crisis, and, finally, a gradual return to a state of equilibrium. The
individual ordinarily recognizes during the active crisis stage that his/her usual coping mechanisms
are inadequate and, thus, is usually highlymotivated to seek and accept outside help.

5. Reintegration: Successful reintegration (restoration of equilibrium) is dependent on a number of

factors including the individual's ability to objectively evaluate the crisis situation and to develop
and utilize effective coping strategies.

Crisis Phases:

Individuals affected by a crisis event experience reactions that may change over time. Individual
characteristics, the event itself, and the ecological environment that the individual inhabits affect
these changes. Researchers have identified three primary phases of crisis reactions (Herman,
1997; Horowitz, 1986; Yassen & Harvey, 1998). These phases are outlined below. However,
these phases show a cyclical progression; when individuals are reminded of the crisis event, they
appear to return to the acute phase.

Acute Phase:

Initial crisis reactions in response to a traumatic event usually encompass the physiological and
psychological realm. Reactions include overwhelming anxiety, despair, hopelessness, guilt,
intense fears, grief, confusion, panic, disorientation, numbness, shock, and a sense of disbelief.
In this acute stage of crisis, the victim may appear incoherent, disorganized, agitated, and
volatile. Conversely, the victim may present as calm, subdued, withdrawn, and apathetic.

Outward Adjustment Phase:

For some people, the outward adjustment phase can begin within 24 hours of the trauma. The
individual may then attempt to gain mastery by resuming external control through engaging in
routine activities (Yassen & Harvey, 1998). However, this should not preclude the possibility
that victims who outwardly appear to be “back to normal” may inwardly remain “deeply
affected.” Other victims isolate themselves from sources of support; they may appear to have
withdrawn from society completely. The tension and fluctuating reactions involved in this phase
should be noted as an attempt to return to normal while still processing the trauma.

Integration Phase:

In this phase, the victim attempts to make sense of what has happened. An important task of this
phase is to resolve one’s sense of blame and guilt. Individuals who can recognize and identify
the assumptions about their world and others that have changed because of the trauma develop a
sense of integration sooner. Most importantly, clients should begin to make the changes
necessary to minimize the recurrence of a crisis. Some clients will cycle and recycle through
these phases as they attempt to come to terms with their trauma. There are also those clients who
cycle through phases too quickly or even skip a phase altogether. It may come as no surprise to
find these clients later overwhelmed.

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Elements of Crises:

The three basic elements of a crisis—a stressful situation, difficulty in coping, and the timing of
intervention— interact and make each crisis unique.

Stress-Producing Situations:

Everyone experiences times then they feel upset, disappointed, or exhausted. When such feelings
are combined with certain life events or situations, they often lead to mounting tension and
stress. There are five types of situations or events that may produce stress and, in turn, contribute
to a state of crisis:

Family Situations—a child abuse investigation, spouse abuse, an unplanned pregnancy, a

parent’s desertion, a chronically ill family member, and lack of social supports are examples of
family situations that can create stress and crises.

Economic Situations—sudden or chronic financial strain is responsible for many family crises,
such as loss of employment, a theft of household cash or belongings, high medical expenses,
missed child support payments, repossession of a car, utilities cut off from service, money “lost”
to gambling or drug addiction, and poverty.

Community Situations—neighborhood violence, inadequate housing, a lack of community

resources, and inadequate educational programs illustrate some ways the community may
contribute to family crises.

Significant Life Events—events that most view as happy, such as a marriage, the birth of a
child, a job promotion, or retirement, can trigger a crisis in a family; a child enrolling in school,
the behaviors of an adolescent, a grown child leaving the home, the onset of menopause, or the
death of a loved one can also be very stressful life events.

Natural Elements—crises are created by disasters such as floods, hurricanes, fires, and
earthquakes, or even extended periods of high heat and humidity, or gloomy or excessively cold
weather.

Crisis Intervention Goals:

The precise goals of a crisis intervention depend, of course, on the specific nature of the crisis.
However, crisis-oriented treatments do share a number of common goals. For example, the
general goals of crisis intervention are:
1. Relieving the client's symptoms;
2. Restoring the client to his/her previous level of functioning;
3. Identifying the factors that led to the crisis state;
4. Identifying and applying remedial measures;
5. Helping the client connect current stresses with past life experiences; and

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6. Helping the client develop adaptive coping strategies that can be used in the current situation as well as
in any future situation
Many consider the last two goals "optional" (i.e., feasible only in certain situations), while most
agree that the first four are the minimal goals for all types of crisis intervention.

Principles of Crisis Intervention:

According to Puryear, crisis intervention is based on the following eight principles:
Immediate Intervention: People are unable to endure crises for long periods of time; thus, crisis
interventions must be immediate. If the therapist cannot see a client requesting help immediately,
the client should be referred to someone who can. It iswhen clients request help and is at the peak
of their crisis that they are most amenable to treatment; i.e., when they are least defensive and most
introspective.

Action: The therapist actively participates in and directs those activities that help theclient resolve
the crisis.

Limited Goals: While long-term forms of therapy may address a number of goals, crisis
intervention focuses on goals that are clearly related to the crisis situation.

Hope and Expectations: Because people in crisis usually feel hopeless, a primary task for
the therapist is to instill the expectation that the crisis will be resolved.
Support: Lack of support is ordinarily an important contributing factor to the development of a
crisis; thus, provision of support is a crucial factor in crisis intervention.
Focused problem-solving: Crisis interventions are problem oriented; i.e., their emphasis is on
resolution of the problem(s) underlying the crisis.
Self-Image: The client experiencing a crisis typically sees him/herself as inadequate. Therefore,
the therapist must assume an approach that both protects and raises the client's self-esteem.
Self-Reliance: From the onset of the crisis intervention, the therapist must maintain a
balance between providing support and fostering the client's self-reliance and independence.

Stages of Crisis Intervention:

A number of crisis intervention models have been developed. The model proposed by Golan
(1978) involves three stages:

Assessment (Session-1)
The assessment stage of crisis intervention entails:
1. Identifying the precipitating factor ("what happened?");
2. Determining the client's subjective reactions to the precipitating factor ("howdid you respond?");
3. Defining the context of the crisis situation including the hazardous event("can you remember what
started this?");

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4. Assessing the client's present state ("what is happening now?"); and
5. Precisely defining, in conjunction with the client, the current problem ("we agree that the most
important problem is your anxiety about getting along without your husband").
Note that, depending on the nature of the crisis, assessment of the client may or may not
include obtaining a recent medical and psychiatric history, assessing the client's current mental
status, determining if drugs or alcohol are involved, and/or assessing the client's potential for
suicide. At the end of the assessment stage, the therapist and client reach an explicit agreement
regarding the goals of the intervention.

Implementation (Sessions 1-4)

The implementation phase involves obtaining relevant background information (e.g.,
information on the client's pre-crisis functioning, previously used coping strategies, the client's
strengths and weaknesses, and available resources and support systems), setting immediate
goals, and identifying tasks that allow the client to achieve those goals.

Termination (Sessions 5-6)

During the termination phase, the client and therapist review the client's progress in terms of the
goals of the intervention, arrive at a decision to terminate, and discuss the client's plans for
the future.
Samuel Dixon (1987) presents a somewhat different model for crisis intervention. Although
different than Golan's, you will notice that both models integrate elements of the overall
principles of crisis intervention discussed earlier in this section. Dixon lists nine, more specific
steps for helping people in crisis. The first six steps generally occur during the first session with
a client. As necessary, steps 7 and 8 may take up to five weeks.

1. Establish a positive relationship early in the relationship: The therapist should

appear to the client as a "helpful person"; i.e., the therapist should communicate acceptance, be
supportive and show respect for the client and an eagerness to help. Essential in this step is a
consideration of the client's feelings with regard to seeking help (e.g., is he or she reluctant,
embarrassed, etc.), his or her feelings of helplessness and the degree of the client's debilitation.
2. Elicit and encourage expression of painful feelings and emotions: Clients in crisis should
be given the opportunity to ventilate painful feelings and emotions before discussing the specific
events surrounding the crisis. If the client is visibly distraught, the therapist should encourage
such expression before attempting to discuss the reasons for the crisis. In other situations, the
client may seem immediately prepared to discuss the crisis event itself and feelings will surface
later.

3. Discuss the precipitating event: Next, the therapist can move on to an exploration of the
event that precipitated the crisis. Various aspects of the event should be explored, including
when it occurred, the circumstances surrounding it, how the client has tried to resolve the crisis,
how the client has coped thus far and what finally made the client seek help. Also helpful is the
gathering of information about the client's history and current life circumstances.

4. Assess and evaluate: At this point, the therapist uses the information gathered in the earlier

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steps to assess the cause of the client's crisis, the degree of debilitation and potential for
recovery. Note that the gathering of information necessary for an assessment and evaluation
should begin as soon as the therapist and client meet each other. This assessment, along with the
following step, forms the basis for treatment planning and implementation.

5. Formulate a dynamic explanation: This step forms the basis for the client's cognitive
restoration; i.e., it is the basis of client insight and understanding of the crisis itself and his or her
reaction to it. Such understanding is essential for change to occur. The dynamic explanation
assesses why the client reacted to the crisis as he or she did (as opposed to what he or she has
responded to). In this step, the therapist evaluates both the internal (psychic) and external (social)
factors that precipitated the crisis and that prevented the client from resolving it without
assistance. An assessment of these factors allows the therapist to plan an appropriate
intervention.

6. Restore cognitive functioning: This step is both empathic and intellectual. It permits the
client to move beyond the avoidance and defensiveness that characterize the peak of a crisis
situation. By providing an explanation for the crisis and an interpretation of the client's response
to it, the therapist helps the client regain both emotional and cognitive control.

7. Plan and implement treatment: Once the therapist has provided the client with some
understanding of the causes and reasons for the crisis condition, specific interventions can be
recommended. These can include referrals, environmental modification and/or additional crisis
therapy. The therapist should discuss these treatment goals with the client.
8. Terminate: Termination is indicated when the client has returned to the pre-crisis level of
functioning. In addition to resolving the crisis itself, crisis therapy should have helped the client
develop overall coping skills that can be applied to later events.
9. Follow-up: This step is optional. At the end of the last session, the therapist may let the client
know that he or she will contact the client sometime in the future to see how he or she is doing.
Some therapists believe this fosters dependency; however, clients generally appreciate this show
of interest and such follow-up allowsthe therapist to evaluate therapy outcome.
Crisis Intervention Techniques:
The therapist's selection of specific intervention techniques is based on the nature of the crisis,
the therapist's theoretical orientation and professional background, and the client's resources.
Commonly-used techniques include affective interventions (e.g., helping the client express
feelings generated by the crisis), cognitive interventions (e.g., helping the client eliminate
negative beliefs that contributed to the crisis), behavioral tasks (e.g., requiring the client to
spend more time with other people), and environmental manipulation (e.g., referring the client to
an agency that can help alleviate financial problems).

According to Hollis, crisis intervention techniques may be classified in terms of four types:

Sustainment: Sustainment techniques are used primarily during the initial stages of crisis
intervention; the goals of sustainment are to lower the individual's anxiety, guilt, and tension and
to provide emotional support. Examples include catharsis, reassurance, encouragement, and

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sympathetic listening.

Direct Influence: Advising a particular course of action and mobilizing appropriate support
systems are examples of direct influence. Direct influence often involves contact with other agencies
(e.g., police, courts, social service agencies).

Person-Situation Reflection: Reflection techniques are used to help the client understand and
resolve specific aspects of the crisis situation; i.e., the informational aspects (does the client see
the situation clearly and objectively?), the client's part inthe crisis situation (is the client aware of
the relevance of his/her emotional reactions to the precipitating factor?), and the client's interaction
with the situation (is the client ableto use alternative coping strategies?).

Dynamic and Developmental Understanding: Once the client's intellectual and emotional
capabilities permit, it is usually beneficial to explore more deeply the client's role in the crisis
situation (e.g., the defense mechanisms, resistances, and communication patterns that contributed to
the crisis).

Models of Crisis Assessment and Intervention:

There are three primary methods of assessing clients in crisis: standardized inventories, general
personality tests interpreted in the light of the crisis, and client interviews. The interview is the
most commonly used method. The models of crisis assessment and intervention outlined below,
therefore, use the interview as a primary assessment tool.

Gilliland’s Six-Step Model:

Gilliland’s Six-Step Model, which includes three listening and three action steps, is a useful
crisis intervention model. Attending, observing, understanding, and responding with empathy,
genuineness, respect, acceptance, non-judgment, and caring are important elements of listening.
Action steps are carried out in a nondirective and collaborative manner, which attends to the
assessed needs of clients as well as the environmental supports available to them (James &
Gilliland, 2005).

1. Listening
 defining the problem
 ensuring client safety
 providing support

2. Action
 examining alternatives
 making plans
 obtaining commitment

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Triage Assessment System:

The Triage Assessment System was developed by Myer (2001), who posits that it is necessary to
assess crisis reactions in three domains: affective (emotional), cognitive (thinking), and
behavioral (actions). According to Myer, an assessment based on these three domains captures
the complexity of crises. Affective reactions include anger, hostility, anxiety, fear, sadness, and
melancholy. Cognitive reactions include transgression, threat, and loss. Behavioral reactions
include approach/avoidance and immobility, and can be constructive or maladaptive. In addition,
Myer (2001) describes four life dimensions that are affected by a crisis: physical, psychological,
social, moral, or spiritual.

Seven-Stage Model of Crisis Intervention:

This model, developed by Roberts (1990), contains seven stages:

1. Plan and conduct a thorough biopsychosocial and crisis assessment. This also includes
assessing suicidal and homicidal risk, need for medical attention, drug and alcohol use, and
negative coping strategies. Assessing resilience and protective factors as well as family and other
support networks is helpful.

2. Make psychological contact and establish rapport. By conveying respect and acceptance, the
responder develops a solid therapeutic relationship with the client. Displaying a nonjudgmental
attitude and neutrality are important in crisis work.

3. Examine and define the dimensions of the problem or crisis. Identifying any issues and
challenges the client may have faced, especially the precipitant to the crisis, will provide
valuable insight into the presenting problem.

4. Encourage an exploration of feelings and emotions. This can be achieved by actively listening
to the client and responding with encouraging statements. Reflection and paraphrasing can also
help this process.

5. Explore past positive coping strategies and alternatives. Viewing the individual as a
resourceful and resilient person with an array of potential resources and alternatives can help this
process (Roberts, 2000). Crisis workers should be creative and flexible in resolving crisis
situations.
6. Implement the action plan. At this stage, identify supportive individuals and contact referral
sources. The client should be able to implement some coping strategies.

7. Establish a follow-up plan. It is important to follow up with clients after the initial intervention
to determine the client’s status and ensure that the crisis has been resolved.

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An Empowering Model of Crisis Intervention:

Pre-Intervention:

Before responding to a community or individual in crisis, find out as much as possible.

Individuals in a crisis have difficulty remembering details, and asking questions for which they
may not have answers may be perceived as disempowering. It is usually feasible to get
background information from the person who initiates the crisis intervention. To prevent one
from becoming overwhelmed by the crisis, alert supportive people such as supervisors, family,
and colleagues about the crisis in order to introduce stress-reduction procedures immediately. By
taking preliminary action, the responder appears stable and supportive when interfacing with
distressed individuals or communities.

Assessment:

Identify the victim’s current concerns and triggers or precipitants to the crisis. Make the
evaluation quick, accurate, and comprehensive. Gathering information about how similar crises
were handled in the past is essential for problem solving. In addition, establishing what worked
and what did not is useful in designing current interventions. An ecological chart may be helpful
in identifying sources of help and support. This chart is constructed with the affected individual
or community in the middle, encircled by significant groups that are named as important by the
client or the client’s community. Exploring which groups can provide ongoing support is also
informative when planning termination with the client.

Disposition:

Allow the client to talk as little or as much as possible about the event. The telling and retelling
of a trauma can assist in the healing process. Psycho-educational information on what actions
can be taken to maintain safety and stabilization are valuable in empowering clients. Information
helps them know what to expect so they will not be later taken by surprise. Decisions on how to
handle the crisis are made by exploring options with clients, an action that supports client
empowerment. Additionally, decisions that include active client participation promote client
compliance. Thinking creatively with clients can resolve most problems. Since crisis intervention
requires short-term involvement, it is important to refer a client to other sources of help as soon
as stability is established. Finally, responders should be aware that not all clients need mental
health support in order to overcome a crisis.

Referral and Resource List:

Keeping a referral and resource list is an important aspect of crisis work. The effective crisis
responder researches and maintains information regarding agencies and programs in a client’s
community that can be sources of future help. If time allows, it might be helpful to visit these
agencies before referring a client to them. Such visits increase the responder’s familiarity with
the services of the referral resources. Knowing whether they have a waiting list, sliding scale of
payment, or whether they give priority to crisis victims is important additional information. Once
a list is generated, make sure that phone numbers, addresses, and names of contact persons are

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constantly updated. It can be frustrating for clients in crisis to call a disconnected number for
help.

Information about potential resources should be clearly printed on a card and carefully reviewed
with clients. Clients are better informed if they have some knowledge about the process involved
before services are sought. Remember, one of the challenges for people in crisis is the ability to
concentrate and remain focused; short-term memory can often be seriously impaired. The crisis
responder should have clients review their next steps before departing. It is a good idea to call
clients after a few days to get an update on how they are feeling.

Psychological effects of Crisis:

While differences in coping abilities, stress-producing situations, and timing of intervention

make each crisis unique, individuals in crisis experience some common psychological effects
that affect assessment and treatment. Generally, crisis events produce problems in six broad
areas as described below. Such problems are temporary, however, and not indicators of mental
illness. A crisis is transient, as are the temporary responses of the family members. Anyone can
have a crisis. Therefore, being in crisis is not synonymous with being mentally ill.

Disorganized Thinking:

People in crisis experience disorganization in their thinking process. They may overlook or
ignore important details and distinctions that occur in their environment and may have trouble
relating ideas, events, and actions to each other in logical fashion. They may jump from one idea
to another in conversation so that communication is confusing and hard to follow. They may not
notice or may have forgotten exactly what happened, or who did what to whom. Important
details may be overlooked in interpreting events, such as a client’s giving extensive information
about a house fire, but failing to tell that her brother had three previous charges of arson. Fears
and wishes may be confused with reality, manifesting a general feeling of confusion. Some
people in crisis develop one-track minds, repeating the same words, ideas, and behaviors which
“worked” in the past, but are inappropriate in the current situation. These people may seem
unable to move on to new ideas, actions, or behavior necessary to solve the current crisis.

Preoccupation with Insignificant Activities:

In an attempt to combat disorganized thought processes and anxiety, people in crisis tend to
become very involved in insignificant or unimportant activities, such as worrying that someone
will be overwhelmed with bad air by keeping a window open. At the peak of crisis, then, these
individuals may need considerable help in focusing on important activities, such as
implementing the steps for productively resolving the crisis.

Expression of Hostility and Emotional Distancing:

Some people in crisis are so upset over their loss of control that they become hostile toward
anyone who intervenes in the situation. They resent their need for help, feeling both angry and
vulnerable. Other crisis-ridden people react with extreme emotional distancing and passivity,
seeming not to be emotionally involved in the situation or concerned with its outcome. For crisis

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workers, the issue is not how to give directives, but to point out the choices for handling the
crisis and to reinforce strengths.

Impulsiveness:

While some people are immobilized in crisis situations, others are quite impulsive, taking
immediate action in response to the crisis without considering the consequences of their action.
Their failure to evaluate the appropriateness of their responses may provoke further crises, thus
making an already complex situation even more difficult to resolve.

Dependence:

Dependence on the crisis worker at a time of crisis is a natural response and may be necessary
before an individual can resume independence. In cases of child abuse and neglect, protection of
the children may require the crisis worker to do for the parents what most other parents do for
themselves. For example, the crisis worker may need to call a creditor or the utility company or
help parents in structuring the basics of child care.

During a crisis, perceptions of the crisis worker’s power or authority can have a stabilizing
impact on a family. A family in crisis is likely to welcome an objective, skillful, and kind
authority who knows how to “get things done.” Offers of help from a concerned, competent
crisis worker seem the answer to all the family’s difficulties.

After a brief period of dependency, most families are able to resume independent functioning.
For some families in crisis, however, dependency may linger. The need to have someone else in
charge makes these families particularly susceptible to influence from others, rendering them
more vulnerable. In their need to find solutions, they may not be able to discriminate between
what is beneficial for them and what could be harmful or, in the absence of a competent crisis
worker, to whom they should listen.

Threat to Identity:

Identity is both an inner condition and an interactional process. When an event, such as a child
abuse report, threatens one’s self-concept and family relationships, a crisis occurs. Because usual
coping methods fail, one’s sense of personal identity is impaired, causing disequilibrium. One’s
previous feelings of competency and worth may seem totally lost.

To counter a lowered self-perception, a parent in crisis may assume a facade of adequacy or

arrogance, claiming that no help is needed. Or, the parent may withdraw from offers of help. In
either case, it is important to remember that the parent in crisis is probably very frightened, rather
than “resistant” or “unmotivated.” The crisis worker has the opportunity to establish rapport by
recognizing strengths that help to restore a sense of goodness or individual worth. The crisis
worker cannot accept abuse of a child, but does acknowledge the parent’s and family’s strengths.

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References:

 http://catholiccharitiesla.org/wp-content/uploads/Crisis-Intervention-An-Overview-MH-
11-06.pdf

 https://uk.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-assets/14229_book_item_14229.pdf

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