Treating a person in crisis involves implementing short-term goals to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. It is very important for both the individual and the family to get back on track. Also, helping the person learn and use coping skills in the future is vital. To effectively treat an individual in a crisis situation, a basic assessment of family history, diagnosis, social history, medical history, behaviors, and any known history that could escalate from behavior to crisis should be done. Initially, security should be the main objective during the intervention to mitigate any risks and create safeguards. That goal should also be an opportunity to promote awareness and growth. However, it is essential that the person working with the person involved in a crisis remains culturally sensitive and respectful of family structures. Sensitivity is a predominant factor in crisis situations, so health professionals must develop methods and approaches accordingly. Health professionals must also be flexible in their approach when looking at all the cognitive, behavioral and affective patterns of people that can clarify the origin of the behavior. After the source is identified, a plan should be put in place to reduce the risk or escalation of crisis behavior.
The purpose of crisis intervention is also to relieve family stress and help members focus on the positives rather than the negatives. In fact, crisis intervention by health professionals allows the family to take a breather and relax from a traumatic situation. However, it should be noted that some precursors or stressors may result from interactions with family members. The home environment can be very challenging as a person has to deal with multiple personalities while managing their own issues. Families must also learn not to judge people. There may also be a problem with the way the family disciplines the individual. For these reasons, the health professional must ensure that the family is educated in the concepts of behavior management and strategies for crisis prevention.
Crisis intervention involves therapeutic techniques that allow the individual, family, and other support parties to choose and maintain attainable goals. Barriers such as resistance to change, complaints, non-compliance with the rules or the plan are evident. However, with persistence and repetition, the individual will be able to learn coping skills, anger management skills, and conflict resolution. As a result, the individual should feel empowered by having the ability to control their emotions and make better decisions. Community services should also be utilized and community cooperation should be sought in the midst of a crisis. The crisis response team must also be comprised of healthcare professionals with a multitude of expertise in key areas regarding medical, behavioral, therapeutic, and social factors. It is also beneficial to coach the individual while developing task-oriented activities. Treatment of family members should consist of teaching members how to avoid confrontation and the importance of active listening. The family may also benefit from learning to incorporate planned ignoring, which is an approach to ignoring the behavior and not the person. Still, other techniques such as role-playing, sociodrama, normalization, proactive strategies, reactive strategies, biasing, ventilation, and limit setting are very useful treatment models. In conclusion, the opportunity for a crisis to occur can always be avoided if an appropriate intervention plan is put in place.
