Treating a person in a crisis involves implementing short-term goals to resolve the situation quickly. Both the person and the family need to return to normalcy. In addition, helping the person learn and utilize coping skills in the future is vital. To effectively treat an individual in a crisis, a basic assessment should occur regarding family background, diagnosis, social history, medical history, behaviors, and any known antecedents that may escalate from a behavior to a crisis. Initially, safety should be the primary objective during the intervention to mitigate risks and create safeguards. The objective should also be an opportunity to promote awareness and growth.
Nevertheless, the person working with the individual in crisis must remain culturally sensitive and respectful of family structures. Sensibility is also a prevalent factor in crises. Therefore, health professionals must develop appropriate methods and approaches accordingly. This approach calls for flexibility by observing all cognitive, behavioral, and affective patterns for individuals that may indicate the antecedent of the behavior which leads to the crisis. After the precursor is observed and motivation is identified, a treatment plan should be implemented to reduce the risk of escalation of crisis behavior.
The purpose of crisis intervention is also to relieve the family members' stress while increasing proactivity. Crisis intervention plans allow families to develop a strategic style when dealing with a challenging situation. Conversely, some crises can be directly attributed to interactions with family members. Families must also learn to be non-judgmental towards the person and avoid insensitivity towards mental health stigmas. There is a difference between corrective actions, discipline, and aversive/punitive conditioning; therefore, it is beneficial for the family to be educated on the concept of crisis intervention and prevention strategies. This concept also emphasizes the importance of active listening, planning to ignore, and avoiding confrontation.
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, compliance, and non-adherence to rules or plans are evident. However, with persistence and repetition, the person will be able to learn coping skills, anger management techniques, and conflict resolution. After intensive training, the person should feel empowered about having the ability to control their emotions and make better decisions. Community resources should also be utilized, and cooperation should be sought amid a crisis. Counseling the person while developing task-oriented activities and goals is also beneficial. Still, other techniques such as role-playing, socio-drama, normalization, proactive, reactive, and setting boundaries are beneficial treatment models. In conclusion, the opportunity for a crisis can always be evaded if an appropriate intervention plan is implemented.
