- Crisis Intervention

Catalog description

This course, designed for students in social work and/or other helping professionals, will focus on principles and techniques for helping oneself and others in crisis. A crisis is defined as a loss of psychological equilibrium, or an upset in an individual's steady state of functioning, triggered by either a normative or traumatic stressor. This course will explore developmental crises as well as numerous situational crises, including personal victimization, suicide, homicide, violence, natural disaster, trauma, and the crisis of loss. Students will learn necessary models, techniques, and skills to work with individuals in a crisis situation. This course will provide students with the ability to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment, while assessing and understanding the individual and/or family in crisis. Students will learn how to prevent escalation of a crisis, which may result in injury to self and/or others. Students will also learn to implement a crisis management plan. Research based practice models and interventions will be discussed and used throughout the course. Due to the nature of crisis work, burn out, compassion fatigue, and self-care will also be emphasized throughout the course.