Recognizing and Responding to a Person in Crisis

Course overview

Professionals responding to individuals who are experiencing a crisis are often challenged by the unpredictable moods; escalating, high-risk behaviors; and deep despair presented by their clients. Without a good framework for understanding crisis dynamics, and an understanding of the essential elements of effective crisis management, serious symptoms might be left unaddressed, exacerbating the crisis. This results in an extremely stressful and high-risk situation for both the client and the professional. This course provides key training for licensed behavioral health professionals on how to recognize when a person is in crisis. You will learn how to effectively help people return to their pre-crisis level of functioning through the use of a task-based model of crisis management. Specific interventions will be described that you can use to stabilize clients who may be impacted by an isolated crisis, as well as those challenged with multiple crises. You will learn how to create a crisis response plan, along with how to use it with clients in a variety of settings. Further, you will explore how to handle situations with individuals who experience recurring crises, those who are hostile and aggressive, and people experiencing a crisis in the context of active substance use. The goal of this course is to provide addictions, behavioral health counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology, and social work professionals in health and human services settings with skills for recognizing and effectively responding to a crisis.