10 Sep DISCUSSION 1 DUE WEDNESDAY 9/02

DISCUSSION 1 DUE WEDNESDAY 9/02

An ancient Chinese proverb offers an intriguing definition of the first of two major topics in this course, crisis: “A crisis is an opportunity riding the dangerous wind.” In fact, if you look closely at your course text, Crisis Intervention Strategies, you will notice a pair of Chinese characters adorning the cover. One means danger and the other opportunity. For many people, this may constitute an unusual way to conceptualize the idea of crisis, as it is often associated exclusively with painful, distressing, or disastrous events—the danger element. Yet, as the saying suggests, crisis also represents a turning point, and thus, an opportunity. It does not come in the form that most people would choose, but it is there nonetheless, waiting to be seized.

But how does this happen? How does an individual stuck in a crisis find the resolve to move on in his or her life? This is where the second major topic in this course, intervention, comes in. The process of crisis intervention can play a significant role in facilitating the recovery of those in crisis. This week, you develop an understanding of the wide array of experiences that comprise crisis from a definitional standpoint. You explore the scope of crisis and crisis work, including the role of multicultural awareness within the field, as well as examine skills required for effective crisis intervention.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this week, you should be able to:

· Analyze the features and scope of crises

· Apply crisis intervention skills and the principles of culturally effective helping

· Understand and apply concepts and techniques related to crisis and intervention

Learning Resources

Required Readings

James, R. K. & Gilliland, B.E. (2017). Crisis intervention strategies (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

· Chapter 1, “Approaching Crisis Intervention”

· Chapter 2, “Culturally Effective Helping”

· Chapter 3, “The Intervention and Assessment Models”

· Chapter 4, “The Tools of the Trade”

Elliott, D. E., Bjelajac, P., Fallot, R. D., Markoff, L. S., & Reed, B. G. (2005). Trauma-informed or trauma-denied: Principles and implementation of trauma-informed services for women. Journal of Community Psychology, 33(4), 461–477.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. This article proposes 10 principles for trauma-informed care of women recovering from crises related to interpersonal violence. The characteristics and context of interpersonal trauma, as well as specific strategies for service delivery are discussed.

Optional Resource

Leighninger, L. (2006). Hurricane relief in 2005: Parallels with the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 17(2), 87–91.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Discussion 1: The Features and Scope of Crises

You likely have some preconceived notions about what a crisis entails. Perhaps the word crisis immediately evokes the idea of a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or a tsunami, which results in the catastrophic loss of human life and property throughout a geographic region. Or, maybe you think first of the personal circumstances of individuals and families: domestic violence, substance abuse, or sexual assault. Bereavement, terrorist attacks, hostage situations, grave illness, school shootings, and serious accidents—these all are events, among many others, that are frequently associated with crisis. Whatever your initial conception of crisis involves—whether it is global or local in scale, whether it is concerned with large communities or individuals, whether it is the result of extraordinary events or daily problems in living—it is likely accurate (although not nec