Adams’ Crisis Intervention Summer 2011 Pg 1
Texas Woman’s University
Summer 2011
FS 5173 Crisis Intervention Counseling
Course Description: Crisis theory and intervention strategies; special emphasis on suicidology, natural and man-made disasters, and crisis management in the schools.
This course fulfills: Counseling and Development elective requirements.
Faculty Contact Information:
Instructor: / Susan Adams, PhD, LPC / Office: / HDB 213BPhone: / (940) 898-2692 / Email (home)(preferred): /
Office Hours: / Mondays: 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Tuesdays: 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Wednesdays: 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Online hours: Tuesday 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Other times by Appointment / Email (office):
TWU Help Desk (Blackboard Issues /
(940) 898-3971
Class Dates & Time:
June 10 (5:30-9:30) and 11 (9:00-4:00)
June 24 (5:30-9:30) and 25 (9:00-5:00)
July 15(5:30-9:30) and 16 (8:00-6:00)
August 6 (9:00–4:00)
Course Goals andOutcomes: Upon completion of this course, students will:
1)Develop understanding of fundamental concepts, theories, strategies, and counseling skills needed to conduct effective crisis intervention.
2)Develop an understanding of the background, dynamics, and counseling intervention methodologies needed to effectively help individuals or groups in crisis.
3)Develop an understanding of the process of prevention, intervention, and postvention in crisis counseling.
4)Empower counselors to progress toward more proactive, preventive and creative initiatives in crisis intervention.
State Standards and Professional Guidelines Alignment:
Competency 004: Program management; Competency 006: Responsive services; Competency 007: Individual planning; Competency 008: Assessment; Competency 011: School-community relationships; Competency 012: Ethical, legal and professional standards.
Purpose:
The purpose of this course is to prepare you for dealing with the inevitable crisis situations you will encounter as a counselor. We will spend time reflecting on how people deal with crises, exploring your own crisis experiences, and starting to develop your skills in crisis intervention. You will also examine some of the relevant research on crises, resolution, and resilience. However, your major focus throughout the course will be on learning the practical skills of helping people in crisis.
You may find this course to be emotionally challenging. You will have to think about painful experiences, face some difficult issues, examine your own strengths and vulnerabilities, and try out new ways of helping others. All of us have been through crises ourselves, but if you currently are in a crisis situation, you should carefully consider if you are able right now to handle the extra challenges of this course. If at any time you find yourself struggling emotionally, please alert the professor. It is very important to self-monitor!!!
Text: Kanel, K. (2012). A guide to crisis intervention (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Disability Support Policy Statement: If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the office of Disability Support Services (CFO 106, 940-898-3835, ) in order to obtain the required official notification of your accommodation needs.Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss approved accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.
Academic Dishonesty: Honesty in completing assignments is essential to the mission of the university and to the development of the personal integrity of the student. Cheating, plagiarism, or other kinds of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in appropriate sanctions that may include failing an assignment, failing the class, or being suspended or expelled. Suspected cases in this course may be reported to Student Life. The specific disciplinary process for academic dishonesty is found in the TWU Student Handbook. Tools to help you avoid plagiarism are available through the TWU Libraries at
Academic Cheating
According to the 2005-2006 TWU Student Handbook “cheating includes, but is not limited to, intentionally giving or receiving unauthorized aid or notes on examinations, papers, or class assignments, intended to be individually completed. . . . Dual submission of a papers or project, or resubmission of a paper or project to a different class without express permission from the instructor(s) also constitutes cheating” (p. 133)
Plagiarism Policy
According to the Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary (1997), plagiarism is defined as stealing the ideas or words of another and using them as one’s own – either intentionally or unintentionally. In other words, literary theft. The fifth edition of the APA manual warns that professionals “. . . do not claim the words or ideas of another as their own; they give credit where credit is due. Quotation marks should be used to indicate the exact words of another” (p. 349). Plagiarism is applicable to words, ideas, and/or writings. Using someone else’s ideas or words, without giving credit to the author / source, makes you guilty of intellectual theft and will NOT be tolerated.
Student Assessment
TWU program faculty routinely conducts a developmental andsystematic assessment of each student's progress through the program. This assessment will consist of evaluation of the student's (1) academic performance, (2) professional development, and (3)personal development. As a result of this evaluation, the faculty will identify any limitations that might impedea student's progress, inone or moreof these three areas, throughout the program. The faculty will develop remedial assistance when needed and clearly document and communicate their concerns with the identified student. If the student is not able or is unwilling to demonstrate sufficient progress and/orcompetence,inthis/these area(s), the faculty will take the necessary, documented steps to dismiss this student from the program. If there is sufficient concern about the student, the faculty may choose to dismiss the student from the program without a remediation option. Allevaluations, decisions, and plans will be clearlydocumentedand signed bytheprogram's faculty members and will become part of thestudent's permanent student file.The specificoutline ofthis policy is provided in Section IV, page 23of the current Student Handbook which has been made available (via webpage link - for downloadingeffectiveSeptember, 2007.(CACREP 2001 Standards, Section VI.B and 2005 ACA Code of Ethics, F.5.b, d; F.6.a; F.9.a,b).
It is the student's responsibility to communicate with their designated Faculty Advisor if they need to refrain from offering or providing counseling services due to impairment. This impairment may be of a temporary or permanent nature and may be due to physical, mental or emotional problems. When the faculty advisor becomes aware of such an impairment, he/she will bring the situation to the attention of the program faculty as soon as is reasonably possible so that appropriate action can be taken by faculty decision. (C.2.g; F.8.b).
Evaluation in This Course(K.5.a, b, f, g)
Course Requirements: In addition to reading the text (as outlined in tentative schedule, grades will be based on the following assignments.
1)Tests (50 points each). Three tests will be given at the beginning of class on Friday, June 24, Friday, July 15, and Saturday, August 6. They will be multiple choice, matching questions, and discussion based on the readings from the previous week-end, lecture notes, potential email material, and the crisis intervention model.
2)Attendance and class participation (15 points). Attend each class meeting and actively participate in class discussions and activities. Because of the condensed component of this class, students who miss four (4) hours of class or fail to meet the participation requirements on one (1) assignment (or combination thereof) may drop one (1) letter grade. Students who miss six (6) hours of class or fail to meet the participation requirement on two (2) assignments (or combination thereof) will be administratively dropped from class.
3)Crisis Movie Paper (100 points)
Watch a movie from the “selected list” or with prior approval of the instructor. Write a 4-6 page paper (plus APA title page) and identify: (1) who is in crisis (may be more than one, but primary one), (2) the nature of the crisis, (3)the course of the crisis, (4) apply crisis intervention model, (5) identify potential resources needed, (6) discuss the person’s attempt at coping with the crisis (whether effective or not), and (7) identify (a list) of potential issues that the person might need to address if referred for counseling – and why. Some latitude will be given for interpretation. Minimum of 2 professional journal articles (current within the last 5 years) are required to support aspects of the paper. Articles must be submitted in class and paper will be submitted on blackboard.
4)Complete FEMA IS-100.bIntroduction to Incident Command System, ICS-100(20 points) and FEMA IS-100.SCa Introduction to Incident Command System for Schools. (20points) Complete onlinetraining programs and turn in certificate of completion in class per due date.
(See ) Scroll about ½ way down and you will a list of courses you can take online. Find the two courses identified, click the hyperlink and follow the directions. Print your certificate when you complete the course and turn it in during class on June 24. I will return these to you. FYI – you may complete this assignment any time prior to June 24, so if you have a busy schedule this summer and it works for you, you may even take them before class begins.
5)CrisisField Trip Paper (20 points)
Write a 2-3 page reflection paper on the field trip and post this assignment on Blackboard bySaturday, July 23 at midnight. NOTE: This is the only assignment due outside of scheduled week-end class periods.
6)Crisis Intervention Demonstration Video and Handout (Group Assignment)(75 points)
Form groups of 4. Submitnames of your “crisis team” at the end of first class.
Create a 15-20 minute crisis intervention demonstration video with a crisis scenario (selected from list below or another topic with approval of instructor) and an intervention script (roles in video) which includes ALL individuals in your group.
As part of project development, team members must find appropriate, current (within the last 5 years) professional references (minimum of 1 per group member) plus the text and lecture notes to clearly identify specific issues, concerns, and appropriate interventions.
Each group will present the video to the class as if the class were a consultation team and provide appropriate discussion of key factors identified in the film. Every member of the group must be actively involved in the film and presentation.
Presentations must include power point and thorough application of the Crisis Intervention Model.
Handouts that educate the class must also be provided, including a reference page that identifies the person who was responsible for that particular reference.
Total time for each presentation will be approximately 1hour (including about 10 minutes for processing the activity), but final allocation will be determined by the number of groups.
Written outline of your presentation, including (1) who is responsible for what part(s) of the presentation, (2) outline, and (3) APA format reference list (identifying who is responsible for that particular reference)must be submitted in classFriday, July 15.
Potential Topics: (topic not from list must be approved by professor by June 24)
Sexual Abuse/Assault/Rape / Domestic Violence / Severe Health/Disability CrisisAddiction Crisis / Violent Death (homicide) / War / Hostage Taking
Hate Crime / Vicarious Traumatization / Compassion Fatigue / Natural Disaster
Terrorism / Terminal Illness/ Sudden Death / Childhood Abuse
Grading will be based on:
Film / PresentationCreativity of the scenario / Presentation to class (Crisis team)
Clear identification of crisis / Questions for the Consultation Team (class)
Demonstration of crisis behavior / Appropriateness of the handout
Appropriateness of the intervention(s) / *Effectiveness and use of power point to add to the presentation
* Note: Do NOT simply read slide full of words.
Evaluation Criteria:
Tests (3 worth 50 points each) / 150Class Participation / 15 / 360 - 400 = A
Crisis Movie Paper / 100 / 320 - 359 = B
IS-100 & 100-SCa Training (20 points each) / 40 / 280 - 319= C
Crisis Field Trip Paper / 20 / 240 - 279 = D
Group Assignment (Video & Presentation) / 75 / Below 239 = F
Total Possible Points / 400
Tentative Schedule
Reading / Assignments DueJune10 (Friday) / Chap 1: What is Crisis?
Chap 2: History of Crisis Intervention
June11 (Saturday) / Chap 3: Ethical & Professional Issues
Chap 4: ABC Model of Crisis Intervention
Chap 5: Suicide, Homicide, & Psychotic Crises
June 24 (Friday) / Chap 6: Cultural Sensitivity in Crisis Intervention
Chap 7: Developmental Crises / Test #1
FEMA training Certificates
June 25 (Saturday) / Chaps 8 – Crises of Loss
Chap 9 – PTSD, Natural Disasters, Manmade Disasters, & Trauma Reponse
July 15 (Friday / Chaps 10: Crises of Personal Victimization: Child Abuse, Elder Abuse, Intimate Partner Abuse, & Sexual Assault
Chap 11: Crises Related to Substance Abuse
Chap 12: Crises in Reaction to Serious Illness and Disabilities / Test #2;
Group’s Written Outline;
Crisis Movie Paper
July 16 (Saturday) / Field Trip
July 23 (Saturday by midnight) / (NOTE: NOT A CLASS DAY) / Reflection Paper on Field Trip
August 6 (Saturday) / Class Activities / Test #3;
Team Presentations
Bibliography
American Red Cross. (2001). Emotional health issues for victims. Web site:
Arrendondo, P., Toporek. R., Brown, S. P., Jones, J., Locke, D. C., Sanchez, J., & Stadler, H. (1996). Operationalizations of the multicultural counseling competencies. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 24, 42-78.
Baker, C. (1991). An AIDS diagnosis: Psychological devastation! California Therapist, 3 (5), 66-67.
Cavaiola, A. A., & Colford, J. E. (2006). A practical guide to crisis intervention. Boston: Lahaska Press.
Davidson, P. W. (1999). Characteristics of older adults with intellectual disabilities referred for crisis intervention. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 43, 38-47.
Echterling, L. G., Presbury, J., & McKee, J. E. (2005). Crisis intervention: Promoting resilience and resolution in troubled times. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.
Gomez, J. S., & Michaelis, R. C. (1995). An assessment of burnout in human service providers. Journal of Rehabilitation, 61, 23.
Graham, R. (1989). Adult day care: How families of the dementia patient respond. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 15(3), 27.
Greenstone, J. L., & Leviton, S. C. (2002). Elements of crisis intervention. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Kruger, L. J., Bernstein, G., & Botman, H. (1995). The relationship between team friendships and burnout among residential counselors. Journal of Social Psychology, 135, 191.
Lancer, D. (2004). Recovery in the twelve steps. The Therapist, 16(6), 68-71.
Lindermann, E. (1944). Symptomatology and management of acute grief. American Journal of Psychiatry, 101, 141-148.
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. (2001). Critical incident stress information sheet. Available at:
Nock, M. K., & Prinstein, M. J. (2004). A functional approach to the assessment of self-mutilative behavior. Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 72 (5), 885-890.
Westefeld, J. S., Range, L. M., Rogers, J. R., Maples, M. R., Bromley, J. L., & Alcorn, J. (2000). Suicide: An overview. The Counseling Psychologist, 28, 445-510.
Wiger, D. E., & Harowski, K. J. (2003). Essentials of crisis counseling and intervention. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Young, M. E., Nosek, M. S., Howland, C. A., Chanpong, G., & Rintala, D. H. (1997). Prevalence of abuse of women with physical disabilities. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 78, 534-538.
Policies and Procedures:
Attendance and Participation: Since a primary component of this course will involve discussion and interaction with peers, students are expected to attend every class and participate in class activities. Attendance is counted if you (a) stay for the entire class period; (b) come on time; (c) participate in class discussions and peer feedback. Crisis is a very intense experience that includes both didactic and experiential components. While I understand that emergencies do happen, an absence of more than 3 hrs of scheduled class timewill seriously impact your progress in this course and may result in being administratively dropped from the class. Prior notification of any absence is considered a professional courtesy and part of your professional development. A second absence (total of more than 5 hours of class time) will result in the student being administratively dropped from the class and a non-passing grade will be assigned. (K.5.a-g)
Cellular Phones. Please turn cellular phones off or set to silence during class meetings. Your call is an interruption to the entire class. There will be breaks where you can make calls as needed. If there is a possibility that you might need to respond to a call during class (e.g., job related call, etc.), please let me know before class that evening.Also texting or “surfing the Internet’ are not permitted during class. This is a professional issue and suspected violations will be addressed. Put your cell phones away. If you bring your laptop to class for taking notes, be sure to use it for that purpose.
Academic Knowledge,Skills:
As counseling students at TWU, you willuseyour academic knowledge base to become excellent counselors. However, it is not enough to simply "know how" to work with a client.You must alsolearn to assist clients in achieving their own goals throughutilization of appropriatebasic skills,andbe able to demonstrate a basic mastery of those skills to effectively help clients.
Professional Development and Personal Growth:
Youare also expected todemonstrate appropriate conduct (both behaviors/actions and communication/disposition)that is suitable for Professional Counselors.These include, but are not limited to, the values, commitments, andprofessional ethics that influence interactions with others and affect learning, motivation,development, andprofessional growth.Appropriate dress indicative of a professional counselor is mandatory.
Throughout the semester, you will be challenged to move outside your personal comfort zone as you participate in an experiential group experience, actively participate in class and class activities, and enter the "role of group leader and member" during class. It is important that you respect this vulnerability in both yourself and your peers. Remember you are bound by the ACA ethical code and the ASGW Ethics Code and must respect confidentiality for all group information!
As part of that professional development and personal growth, you will be expected toengage in honest, appropriatecritical analysis and reflectivethinking about the counseling workyou do and observe others doing.You willwork collaboratively with peers and others to apply your knowledge of developmental, cultural, individual, and age appropriate strategies in the counseling role. You must demonstraterespect for human differences and diversity, not only inyour experiential group, but in your interactions inside and outside of the classroom.