CRISIS

INTERVENTION
STRATEGIES
 SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM

CHAPTER 1 DYNAMIC OF THE PROBLEM

INTERVENTIONS
STRATEGIES
SUMMARY

2
 INTRODUCTION

The eighth edition of this book begins with, A brief history of crisis intervention.
whereas the crisis itself formal crisis theory, research, and intervention are among
the newest topics in psychotherapy and have most likely, Most laypeople associate
formal crisis intervention with large-scale disasters such as hurricanes or 9/11, and
it is typically performed by government agencies such as the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) in the United States or charitable organizations such
as the Red Cross. whereas the Salvation Army and the Red Cross have both been
active. For nearly a century, disaster aid has been a priority. FEMA has only been
around for around 35 years.

3
 SCOPE OF THE
PROBLEM/BACKGROUND OF THE
PROBLEM
The origins of crisis intervention have often been grass-roots organizations,
or groups of people who got together to confront a specific situation that was
afflicting them, a crucial turning point in the history of crisis intervention.
Natural and man-made natural events influenced the development of the
raised circle method used by visually impaired persons. Because of the
media's impact, crisis intervention has evolved from a backwater psychiatric
specialist to the mainstream of helping abilities. It emphasizes Crisis
Intervention Journal of Family Violence, Death Studies, Suicide and Life-
Threatening Behavior, Child Abuse and Neglect, Journal of Child Sexual
Abuse, Aggression and Violent Behavior, and Violence Against Women. The
amount of data and information available in the sector has grown
significantly. A great deal is that the Encyclopedia of Psychological Trauma
(Reyes, Elhai, and Ford, 2008) has 720 pages. covers everything from A
(child abuse) through (Violence in the workplace).
Definition of Crisis
This book is mainly about doing crisis intervention with individuals in
the microsystem such as families and workplaces. The definition of
crisis applies to both individuals and systems. To summarize these
definitions, for an individual, the crisis is the perception or experience
of an event or situation as an intolerable difficulty that exceeds the
person’s current resources and coping mechanisms. Unless the person
obtains relief, the crisis has the potential to cause severe affective,
behavioral, and cognitive malfunctioning up to the point of instigating
injurious or lethal behavior toward oneself or others. At that point, the
crisis becomes a behavioral emergency.

6
DYNAMICS OF THE PROBLEM

Family violence (also known as domestic

violence) is not okay, ever. You have the
right to feel safe in your relationships.
Violence has many serious effects on
families, and can have long-lasting impacts
on victims. Violence in families can be
hidden for a long time, because it often
happens when other people aren’t there.
PRO’S.
L E A R N I N G T H E P AT T E R N O F A B U S E R E L AT I O N S H I P T H E R A P Y
C A N H E L P S U R V I V O R L E A R N W H I C H P AT T E R N E X I S T I N T H E
R E L AT I O N S H I P A N D M A Y E V E N U N C O V E R H O W T H O S E
A B U S E B E H A V I O R T O K E E P T H E M I N R E L AT I O N S H I P S . A
S U R V I V O R C A N L E A R N H O W T O B R E A K P AT T E R N E I T H E R
L E A V I N G O U T R I G H T O R G E TT I N G R E S T R A I N I N G O R D E R T O
L E A V E T H E R E L AT I O N S H I P S A F E LY.

CON’S.
V I O L E N C E H A S M A N Y S E R I O U S E F F E C T S O N FA M I L I E S S U C H
AS PHYSICAL INJURIES SUFFER FROM DEPRESSION FEEL OF
S U I C I D A L I T C A N A F F E C T E AT I N G A N D S L E E P I N G .
INTERVENTION /STRATEGIES

No single theory or school thought encompasses every view of human crisis or

all the models or system of crisis intervention . We present here a brief
overview of theories relevant both crisis (as a phenomenon ) and to crisis
intervention (as an intentional helping response) . Janosik (1984) conceptualizes
crisis theory on three different levels: basic crisis theory expanded crisis theory
and applied crisis theory. Specific crises demand specific interventions that span
the whole continuum of therapeutic strategies. The strategies present in this
book shouldn’t be construed as the only ones available for a particular crisis.
They are presented as “best bets” based on what current research and practice
indicate to be appropriate and applicable. Yet these strategies may not be
appropriate for all practitioners with all clients in all situations.
9
BASIC CRISIS INTERVENTION THEORY

Lindemann’s basic crisis theory and work made a substantive contribution to the understanding of
behavior in clients whose grief crises were precipitated by loss. He helped professionals and
paraprofessionals recognize that behavioral responses to crises associated with grief are normal,
temporary, and amenable to alleviation through short-term intervention techniques. These “normal” grief
behaviors include (1) preoccupation with the lost one, (2) identification with the lost one, (3) expressions
of guilt and hostility, (4) some disorganization in daily routine, and (5) some evidence of somatic
complaints (Janosik, 1984, p. 11).

o Lindemann negated the prevailing perception that clients manifesting crisis responses should
necessarily be treated as abnormal or pathological. Focused mainly on immediate resolution of grief
after loss, Caplan (1964) expanded Lindemann’s constructs to the total field of traumatic events.
o Caplan viewed crisis as a state resulting from impediments to life goals that cannot be overcome
through customary behaviors. These impediments can arise from both developmental and situational
events.
o Both Lindemann and Caplan dealt with crisis intervention following psychological trauma using an
equilibrium/ disequilibrium paradigm. The stages in Lindemann’s paradigm are (1) disturbed
equilibrium, (2) brief therapy or grief work, (3) client’s working through the problem or grief, and (4)
restoration of equilibrium.
Differentiating Basic Crisis Theory From Brief Therapy

The work of both Lindemann and Caplan gave impetus to the use of crisis
intervention strategies in counseling and brief therapy with people
manifesting universal human reactions to traumatic events.

o Whereas brief therapy theory typically attempts to remediate more or less

ongoing emotional problems, basic crisis theory, following the lead of
Lindemann and Caplan, focuses on helping people in crisis recognize and
correct temporary affective, behavioral, and cognitive distortions brought
on by traumatic events.

o Although brief or solution-focused therapy may be the equivalent of crisis

intervention (in that it seeks to restore the person to a state of homeostasis
or equilibrium), not all brief or solution-focused therapy is related to crisis
intervention.
For example: A student fails one algebra test and concludes that he or she can never pass
algebra, therefore cannot become an engineer (as the parents are perceived to expect/demand).
The student progresses to a feeling of helplessness, then to hopelessness, and then contemplates
suicide. Here, crisis intervention that focuses on suicide prevention is clearly indicated.

o Here, the modality becomes a typical brief or solution-focused therapy situation wherein the
emphasis is on how to improve study habits and test taking skills.

o Differentiating between brief or solution-focused therapy and crisis intervention depends on

how intensely the client views the problem as intolerable or on how much emotional
disequilibrium the client experiences.

o Severe emotional disequilibrium over the event may escalate the person into crisis and the
therapist into a crisis intervention modality
 perception or experiencing of
Important principles
an event or situation as an
and characteristics of Individual crisis, intolerable difficulty that
crisis:
exceeds the person’s
current resources and coping
1. Crisis embodies both danger and mechanisms.
opportunity for the person experiencing the
crisis.
2. Crisis is usually time limited but may
develop into a series of recurring trans Basic crisis theory views crisis
crisis points. CRISIS as situational or developmental
3. Crisis is often complex and difficult to INTERVENTATION
resolve. rather than pathological in
4. The life experiences of crisis and other STRATEGIES nature.
human services workers may greatly
enhance their effectiveness in crisis
intervention.
5. Crisis contains the seeds of growth and
impetus for change.
6. Panaceas or quick fixes may not be Expanded crisis
applicable to many crisis situations. theory adds to and
7. Crisis confronts people with choices. Five fundamental crisis
enhances basic theory
8. Emotional disequilibrium and intervention models
disorganization accompany crisis.
9. The resolution of crisis and the
personhood of crisis workers interrelate.
Quilibrium, Cognitive, Psychosocial transition,
Developmental-ecological, and contextual
ecological.
QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.