Crisis Intervention
Crisis and Intervention
An environmental crisis situation occurred on New Year’s Eve 2011. A tornado touched down in the area I serve in Missouri. I was one of the first on the scene after the first responders. Many of the victims had been evacuated and were not being allowed back into the area. The few people that I did service were in such shock that just a cup of coffee and help in communicating with their loved ones was all they wanted at the moment. Cell towers, phone lines, power lines, etc were down in the area, so communication was difficult. On a daily basis however I encounter developmental crisis situations; these situations are developmental in nature because many have been raised in homes where financial crisis is a daily event. Many of the clients I serve have been repeat clients for many years. Often times their parents or grandparents were also habitual clients. They often times are seeking food assistance as well as assistance in paying utility bills and rental cost.
These situations are all crisis because of the effect they have on the individual. Whether the crisis is situational, environmental or developmental the basis emotion is the same for the person in the midst of the crisis. A crisis is a negative event that is often times unexpected to the individual. Even in the case of the person in need of utility assistance. I hear on a daily basis, “I thought I’d get the money to pay my bill, I never thought I’d be disconnected.” To this individual this event, being disconnected, was an unexpected event.
Resources
James, R. K. (2008). Crisis intervention strategies (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. ◦Chapter 1, "Approaching Crisis Intervention" ◦Chapter 2, "Culturally Effective Helping" ◦Chapter 3, "Basic Crisis Intervention
An environmental crisis situation occurred on New Year’s Eve 2011. A tornado touched down in the area I serve in Missouri. I was one of the first on the scene after the first responders. Many of the victims had been evacuated and were not being allowed back into the area. The few people that I did service were in such shock that just a cup of coffee and help in communicating with their loved ones was all they wanted at the moment. Cell towers, phone lines, power lines, etc were down in the area, so communication was difficult. On a daily basis however I encounter developmental crisis situations; these situations are developmental in nature because many have been raised in homes where financial crisis is a daily event. Many of the clients I serve have been repeat clients for many years. Often times their parents or grandparents were also habitual clients. They often times are seeking food assistance as well as assistance in paying utility bills and rental cost.
These situations are all crisis because of the effect they have on the individual. Whether the crisis is situational, environmental or developmental the basis emotion is the same for the person in the midst of the crisis. A crisis is a negative event that is often times unexpected to the individual. Even in the case of the person in need of utility assistance. I hear on a daily basis, “I thought I’d get the money to pay my bill, I never thought I’d be disconnected.” To this individual this event, being disconnected, was an unexpected event.
Resources
James, R. K. (2008). Crisis intervention strategies (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. ◦Chapter 1, "Approaching Crisis Intervention" ◦Chapter 2, "Culturally Effective Helping" ◦Chapter 3, "Basic Crisis Intervention