WEEK # 3
Chapter 4
COMMUNICATION AND RAPPORT
Factors influencing communication:
1. Psychology
Ellis’ A-B-Cs of behavior:
A= activating event
B= one’s rational or irrational beliefs about the activating event
C= consequent emotional and behavioral reaction to the event based on one’s beliefs
D= dispute irrational beliefs
E= evaluate the effectiveness of new, more rational beliefs and the consequent reactions they produce
2. Sociology
3. Cultural
4. Ecology
5. Language
ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING
1. Priority questions to explore with someone in crisis:
1. Is the person suicidal, homicidal, or both?
2. Has the crisis situation disrupted the lives of others?
3. Can the person handle the responsibilities of everyday living? Such as meals, personal hygiene, work, school, children?
2. Other questions to explore:
Does the person seem close to hopelessness?
Is the person’s usual support system intact?
What resources are needed by the individual to resolve the crisis?
BASIC FEATURES OF A CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLAN
1. Developed with the person in crisis
2. Problem oriented. Plan focuses on the immediate, here-and-now problems.
3. Appropriate to person’s functional level. Want to make sure the plan is doable by the client.
4. Consistent with person’s culture and lifestyle. Crises occur within a context.
5. Includes significant others.
6. Realistic and concrete time frame.
7. Flexible and renegotiable.
8. Insures follow-up.
Chapter 5
FAMILIES AND SOCIAL NETWORK STRATEGIES
Families in crisis
1. If the source of trouble is from within the family, the precipitating event can be more distressful than an outside event. External crises tend to bind families together. Problems from within tend to tear them apart and set one or more members against the others.
2. Crises don’t always come from dysfunction within the family, but may come from stressors outside of the family which
COMMUNITIES IN CRISIS
1. Entire neighborhoods or communities may feel the effects of an individual’s or families crisis. Fire, suicide, hostage etc.
2. Whole communities may be affected by extreme events. Juvenile gangs, Three-mile Island
3. Communities in crisis tend to have three common characteristics:
1. Widespread fear, tension, and uncertainty
2. Rumors run rampant
3. Normal community functioning breaks down. Emergency services are depleated
.
SOCIAL NETWORK AND GROUP STRATEGIES FOR CRISIS RESOLUTIONSocial network strategies.
1. Explain social network strategies’ meaning and purpose
2. Identify all members of the social network
3. Identify "symptom bearer" or identified patient in the family or social network
4. Contact and arrange meeting for all persons identified as part of the social network.
5. Establish a follow-up plan.
6. Convene meeting at mutually convenient time.
7. Facilitate collaborative crisis resolution between the individual and his or her social network.
8. Record in writing the proceedings and what everyone has agreed to. Distribute to all in the network.
Group Strategies
Group crisis intervention is indicated when the group can be a means of:
1. Assessing the person’s coping skills
2. Increasing number of potential helpers
3. Relieving isolation
4. Crisis resolution in situations where there is large demand, but limited personnel.
Group Structure
1. Size and composition of group
2. Number of contacts – the author recommends 6-10
3. Focus on here-and-now
4. Structure the group so that all members are helping one another in the resolution of their respective crises. Avoid doing individual counseling in groups.
5. Structure admission and termination from group. This can be very beneficial in that it can duplicate actual losses experienced by the members and reveal their typical patterns of coping with loss.