Crisis Counseling

On April 2, 2017, around 7:30 p. m. a shooting was reported in a parking lot in San Bernardino, where two men were reported dead after they were taken to the hospital (The Press Enterprise, 2017). As the men were determined to be dead at the hospital, at some point the families will be receiving a call more than likely from law enforcement, social worker, or human service professional regarding the men’s death. A human service professional serves patients and families in different healthcare and hospice settings. One of the roles of a human service professional is to provide crisis counseling, which means dealing with cases that involve intense and unpleasant emotions (Martin, 2014). Such emotions can lead individuals to feel uncomfortable.
Particularly, as the two men who lost their life are in the middle of an investigation. Thus, this writer would be sympathetic to the families of whom this writer would have to deliver the news to, while also remaining calm and understanding that various emotions (anger, denial, sadness, and shock) may come out of the delivered news (Martin, 2014). Thus, this writer would feel compelled to meet the basic needs, while understanding the family’s individual coping styles (Martin, 2014). In this case, safety needs would be the main area of focus. This writer would develop and individualize a plan for each of the men, which would serve as the intervention plan, in this case, creating a sense of security and comfort for the families in a time of crisis (Martin, 2014). This safety assurance would also indicate to the families that the human service professional is available and willing to support and help in these grief stricken times (Martin, 2014). It is important to understand and recognize the family or individual’s coping style (Martin, 2014). When the human service professional understands these dynamics then members of a family or individual can be assisted to regain back as much control as possible, by acting as the conduit (Martin,