Crisis Intervention And Risk Assessment V.2

Course overview

Behavioral healthcare workers, regardless of position, are frequently confronted with individuals experiencing a crisis. Emotional turmoil can be a stimulus for growth or a cause of long term harm. One should not take for granted that crisis counseling is a natural skill for anyone with a caring attitude. What the crisis counselor says does make a difference in how the person copes with a crisis and how the person learns new coping strategies. This series of modules introduces the commonalities that are experienced by almost everyone in any type of crisis scenario. This includes the general stages of a crisis, the frequently observed behaviors, the thoughts and the emotional responses that are experienced. The helper role must be first and foremost to assist the individual through the crisis. Second, the helper coaches the individual to learn new coping skills that may be utilized in the future. When an individual is in crisis, risk of self-harm or violence to others may be present. This course will include both assessment and prevention information. Key Words: Crisis intervention; Emotional crisis; Suicide intervention; Crisis counselor; Dynamics of a crisis; Risk Assessment