Approaching Crisis Intervention

Approaching Crisis Intervention

A crisis is characterized by the presence of a problem that overwhelms the individual or system, need for change, opportunities, objective and systematic interventions, universality and resiliency. Several crisis intervention models exist. According to James and Gilliland (2012), the psychosocial transition model considers that the individual’s ability to handle a crisis depends on internal and external factors that influence his values, behaviors and attitudes.

Effective internal coping mechanisms, social support and access to the relevant environmental resources are critical to the individual’s ability to gain complete control during a crisis. Secondly, the cognitive model considers that crises emerge due to flawed thinking about the events or situations leading to the crisis. Therefore, the adopted crisis management strategies should focus on changing the views and beliefs about the event or situation rather than the facts about the event. Often, the people in crisis develop irrational and negative thoughts that amplify the extent of the problem and eclipse the potential solutions.

A person who is facing a crisis should respond by eliminating the irrational and self-defeating thoughts and focus on the rational and empowering aspects of their thinking.

Thirdly, the equilibrium model considers that crises causes psychological and or emotional disequilibrium, which impede the development and implementation of appropriate coping mechanisms. Therefore, restoring equilibrium to enable the individual to make the appropriate decisions is crucial. Nothing else should be done until the individual regains significant psychological or emotional stability. While many crises are time-limited, some crisis may develop into a series of recurring situations that become increasingly difficult to resolve. An in-depth understanding of the key symptoms in the previous crises is crucial to resolving recurring crises.

References
James, R. K., & Gilliland, B. E. (2012). Crisis intervention strategies. Sydney: Cengage
Learning.

Approaching Crisis Intervention