National University

• Identify expected psychological, social, and spiritual effects of crisis events and traumatic reactions.
• Conduct an intake interview with a client dealing with an issue related to a crisis event.
• Identify key warning signs and symptoms of mental or emotional disorders occurring as a result of a crisis event, emergency, or disaster.
• Apply theoretical models used to formulate a treatment plan for clients in crisis.
• Demonstrate knowledge of spectrum of current care strategies on behalf of people in crisis.
• Develop strategies consistent with the principles of resilience-based crisis intervention to facilitate treatment of clients in crisis.
• Use case information to coordinate short term care and recovery for individuals affected by crisis.
• Maintain professional case records and electronic data management systems to coordinate efforts across disciplines and agencies in compliance with ethical and legal standards.

ABILITIES, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OUTCOMES:

Abilities are tasks that counselors should be able to perform. In order to do so, counselors have to draw on relevant knowledge and skills. In this syllabus, abilities are listed as broad categories of performance that also function as class goals and that are further broken down into the sub-categories of knowledge and skills. The knowledge and skills sections are more specific in stating criteria for evaluation of these components.

Abilities to be demonstrated in class role-plays, exercises, or written assignments.

Related to diagnosis, evaluation and outcomes assessment:

1. Conduct an initial intake interview with a client dealing with an issue related to a crisis event.
2. Integrate information from the initial intake interview to formulate a treatment plan.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the cognitive, affective, behavioral, and neurological effects associated with crisis events and traumatic reactions.

Related to psychotherapeutic interventions:

1. Develop strategies consistent with the principles of crisis intervention to facilitate treatment.

Related to psychotherapeutic relationship and context:

1. Develop a rapport with a client experiencing a crisis reaction.
2. Establish a safe and supportive environment for therapy.

Knowledge to be demonstrated using objective formats.

Related to diagnosis, evaluation and outcomes assessment:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of interviewing strategies and tools for assessment of trauma.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the risk factors for acute and/or repeated crisis situations.
3. Compare and contrast theoretical models used to formulate a treatment plan for clients in crisis.

Related to psychotherapeutic interventions:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of basic care strategies on behalf of persons in crisis.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of brief, intermediate, and long-term strategies for working with clients experiencing trauma or a crisis reaction.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of principles of intervention for individuals with mental or emotional disorders during times of crisis, emergency, or disaster.

Related to psychotherapeutic relationship and context:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the relevance of social network techniques on behalf of individuals in acute and repeated crisis situations in home, community, or institutional settings.
2. Compare and contrast skill and knowledge requirements for working in a crisis model with requirements for working under other counseling models.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of how client needs differ when the client is experiencing a crisis reaction or trauma.

Skills to be practiced in class.

Related to diagnosis, evaluation and outcomes assessment:

1. In role play, conduct an initial interview and assessment of a client in crisis.
2. Identify key warning signs and symptoms of mental or emotional disorders occurring as the result (partially or otherwise) of a crisis event, emergency, or disaster.
3. Develop and utilize therapeutic interventions based on the type of crisis event and client reaction.

Related to psychotherapeutic interventions:

1. Apply and integrate psychotherapeutic strategies and techniques in a role play, consistent with crisis theory.
2. In role play, practice principles of intervention for clients in crisis, at risk for repeated crisis situations, and/or dealing with emotional or mental disorders related to a crisis event.

Related to psychotherapeutic relationship and context:

1. In role play, practice developing rapport with client having a crisis reaction.
2. In role play, demonstrate capacity for empathetic facilitation of crisis therapy.
3. In role play, based on client presentation, practice therapeutic approaches and strategies (e.g. brief and focused crisis management versus long-term therapy) that could best benefit the client.

COURSE COMPONENTS:

In role play, students will conduct an intake interview of sufficient length to allow for meaningful practice of cousneling skills and observation by the instructor. The intake will be with a role-play "client" experiencing a crisis reaction as a result of an emergency, disaster, or other crisis event. The interview should be concerned with scenarios named by the students that are appropriate to the ethical and practical considerations of the classroom setting.