Stronger Together: Empowering Supportive Others Through Crisis

Course overview

Behavioral health workers play a critical role in crisis intervention and provide essential support to individuals in distress. However, supporters and even supportive family members are often left unsure of how to help and may inadvertently escalate a crisis. This course provides evidence-based strategies for effectively including family members and support systems in crisis interventions to improve outcomes. Participants will explore research demonstrating the benefits of collaborative crisis response; discuss common scenarios involving mental health, substance use, trauma and medical crises; and gain practical skills for engaging and guiding a client's loved ones during high-stress situations. At the conclusion of this course, attendees will have tangible techniques they can apply immediately to better support both individuals in crisis and their support networks. Objectives: After completing this course, participants will be able to: 1. Identify at least three evidence-based benefits of including family members and loved ones in crisis response. 2. Analyze different crisis scenarios and determine appropriate engagement strategies for family and supportive others based on best practices. 3. Demonstrate practical skills for effectively guiding and supporting family members and loved ones during a crisis intervention.