Wasson_Crisisinterventionplan

docx

School

American Military University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

COUC604

Subject

Psychology

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by brittwasson

1 CRISIS INTERVENTION PLAN Crisis Intervention Plan Brittany Wasson School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University Author Note I have no known conflict of interest to disclose. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Brittany Wasson Email: bnwasson@liberty.edu

2 CRISIS INTERVENTION PLAN Defining Crisis A crisis can be defined as an incident that could have an impact on someone’s life but is not always the case (Jackson-Cherry et al., 2018). When people think of crisis, they may believe that if someone is involved in a crisis situation, it will lead to trauma. While crises can lead to trauma and have residual effects on individuals, not everyone will have trauma from the event. In order for an event to be considered a crisis, there are three key details that constitute a crisis situation. The first key detail is that there is an event that occurs that has an effect on the environment in which it took place. Secondly, there are individuals who were involved in the event that took place or have knowledge of the event which now has a personal negative influence on that individual, causing them distress. Lastly, the distress that was caused by the event has now hindered the individual(s) functioning and cannot be helped with coping mechanisms or methods to alleviate the distress (Jackson-Cherry et al., 2018). Neurobiology of Crisis Individuals who are in crisis are put in a state of distress which puts the brain into the flight, fight, or freeze mode. The brain is now in crisis mode and is helping the individual react to the danger that they have sensed. The individual is now in a temporary state of increased alertness and becomes sensitive to stimuli in their environment. The mid-section of the brain, known as the limbic system, is now the main functioning part of the brain during a crisis state. This part of the brain, along with the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system, work together to help regulate emotion and psychological responses. When this area has been over- stimulated, the behavioral responses become unstable (Brooks, 2017). During the time that the brain becomes overstimulated, it does not know how to react to the crisis and the pituitary glands release adrenaline, cortisol and dopamine that has an effect on

3 CRISIS INTERVENTION PLAN an individual’s heart rate. The individual then gets put into the flight, fight, or freeze mode to respond to the perceived threat. If an individual stays in a stressful situation for too long, excessive reactions from the brain can cause long-term damage (Brooks, 2017). Risk Factors of Crisis Not all individuals who are involved in a crisis situation will be affected and may not need extensive support following the crisis. Some individuals may need more support due to life factors that contribute to their vulnerability. When someone is suffering from preexisting conditions such as depression, anxiety, or a trauma-related disorder, they may be more vulnerable in a crisis situation. While people may have professional help available during a crisis, they may be lacking social support, which can lead to isolation due to limited emotional support and they may become more vulnerable. Individuals who have experienced a traumatic event prior to a crisis situation may also be more susceptible (Ma et al., 2020). Other risk factors include family difficulties, cultural issues, developmental issues and physical health problems. Any of these factors can lead to an individual having higher amounts of stress and difficulty navigating challenges in an effective manner (Ma et al., 2020). Signs of Someone in Crisis When working with someone in a crisis state, it is important to understand how their brain is reacting to the situation. At that current time, their brains are in a responsive state to the situation. The features of this state are somatic distress, guilt, aggression, changes in behavior and distracting images (Brooks, 2017). Responses to trauma will vary depending on the individual. In general, most people will react to traumatic events where their baseline is at a normal level, and it does not cause distress to the individual. Unfortunately, for others, they may become visibly and physically impaired from the trauma. It is important to pay attention to signs

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 CRISIS INTERVENTION PLAN and symptoms such as sleep disturbances, dietary changes, becoming isolated from their social group, avoiding situations or reminders related to the trauma, and excessive of use of drugs or alcohol (Jackson-Cherry et al., 2018). Long Term Neurological Affects to Untreated Crisis A normal response to a crisis involves a short-term reaction where the body enters a flight, fight, or freeze response. It may take the brain and body some time to understand that is no longer in danger and bring the individual back to their normal state, for some, they may be stuck in a prolonged state of crisis. If an individual stays in prolonged state of crisis, it can damage the neurological system and have an effect on their long-term performance. The limbic system is altered to a point where an individual is stuck in their reactive brain, making the situation worse and prolonged (Brooks, 2017). Community Crisis Event Crisis News Story On the night of November 20 th , 2022, a gunman entered a popular LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado. Upon entering the main club area, he immediately began to shoot. The club was full that evening with partying patrons, dancing and drinking, enjoying their Saturday night at a place they thought would be safe in their community. Multiple calls to 911 were made starting at 11:56 p.m. For a short amount of time, the music drowned out the gunshots, many thought it was part of the music until they noticed people around them falling to the floor and saw flashes. As the gunshots rang out throughout the club, many raced to find a safe hiding place, in the dressing rooms and bathrooms. Officers were dispatched to the location at 11:57 p.m. and arrived at the scene at midnight. Shortly before the police arrived, two patrons of the club were able to subdue the gunman. The patrons grabbed the gun from the suspect and began

5 CRISIS INTERVENTION PLAN beating him with it, which in turn saved dozens of lives. The time between the gunman entering the building and being subdued, he killed 5 people and wounded 25 others. The 22-year-old gunman was taken into custody by law enforcement at 12:02 a.m. and taken to the hospital for treatment (Musumeci et al., 2022). Crisis Explanation In order to constitute a crisis, a frightening and traumatic event must take place that has the possibility of causing psychological stress to those involved. In the LGBTQ club shooting, a violent incident had taken place in an environment where individuals of a community that is already targeted by hatred were attacked and killed. This tragic situation resulted in multiple casualties, severe injuries, and lead to emotional distress for those who attended the club that night and all those who are involved in the LGTBQ community. The suspect involved in the shooting went into the club with the intent to cause harm to those who are considered “different” due to their sexual orientation and gender identity. A witness at the event recalls that night that left him jobless and traumatized. Michael was a bartender at the club, working the night the shooting took place. He recalls mixing drinks for patrons, when he started hearing popping sounds that were being drowned out by the loud music. At first, he did not seem to be concerned, as he thought it may have just been part of the music playing, then he looked up from making drinks and noticed an individual holding a large weapon. He saw the outline of the suspect and he was wearing a large rifle around him. Once he saw the suspect, he immediately froze, not sure what to do. It wasn’t until debris and glass started flying around him that he ducked behind the bar. He remembers hearing the breaking of glass, gunfire and individuals screaming. At the moment, he feared that he was not going to make it out of the club alive. He began to pray and hoped that he could escape from the violence

6 CRISIS INTERVENTION PLAN that was taking place. When the gunshots stopped, he ran out of the building to safety but remembers seeing others not able to run, lying lifeless on the floor. The club is known to be a safe haven for LGBTQ people in Colorado and in just one short night, it all came crashing down. It was known as a fun, safe place where individuals in the community could come together without worry or judgment (Karimi, 2022). Michael was involved in a traumatic event in which he remembers many details that keep him awake at night. During the event, he remembers not being able to move or react to what was going on around him, his body had gone into a freeze response. When speaking about the event, he has difficulty explaining his reaction that night and feels guilty not being able to react faster and help save others. Michael has been experiencing somatic symptoms since the event, some symptoms have been observed such as trembling, shortness of breath, and rapid heartbeat. He has explained that he has difficulty sleeping at night due to intrusive dreams and images and the sounds of screams from the victims. He admits to waking up quickly from the dreams and feels nauseous. Occasionally when awake he will have random, emotional outbursts while in public, feelings of guilt and difficulty concentrating on what he is doing. He has been unable to go back to work due to the fear of something happening again and he has found it difficult to leave his house to do daily life things that he once did before the incident. Before the incident, Michael would enjoy hanging out within the community and grab drinks with friends before work, but he has isolated himself from them due to fear of them wanting to talk about the incident. He would also attend church with his family but has had anxiety about leaving his home and being with large groups of people. He also has had trouble using his faith as support because he had prayed to God the night of incident to help save those

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

7 CRISIS INTERVENTION PLAN around him. After seeing those who have lost their lives that night, he is afraid that God had turned his back on him and his community for being who they are. Treatment Plan Problem 1 (mental): Michael is suffering from anxiety in large crowds Goal 1: Reduce frequency and intensity of anxiety symptoms. Objective 1: Develop coping strategies to manage anxiety when it arises. Intervention 1: Work on cognitive restructuring and practice mindfulness techniques. Problem 2 (physical): Lack of sleep due to intrusive dreams/images Goal 1: Reduce intrusive dreams/images and practice self-care. Objective 1: Create a comfortable and safe sleeping environment. Intervention 1: Practice relaxation exercises and techniques. Problem 3 (emotional): Random emotional outbursts, mostly when in public settings Goal 1: Reduce emotional outbursts . Objective 1: Identify what trigger(s) the outbursts and develop skills to regulate emotions. Intervention 1: Journal the outbursts and identify what the current thought was that may have contributed to the emotion experienced.

8 CRISIS INTERVENTION PLAN Problem 4 (social): Isolation from friends and activities that were once common Goal 1: Increase social activity and build back relationships. Objective 1: Participate in weekly social activities and reconnect with friends and the community. Intervention 1: Engage in one social activity a week and briefly journal any conversation and feelings during that activity. Problem 5 (spiritual): Resentment towards God for not saving others like him Goal 1: Heal the spiritual relationship and develop positive feelings towards God. Objective 1: Understand Gods true purpose and build spiritual growth. Intervention 1: Seek guidance with a spiritual adviser to discuss feelings.

9 CRISIS INTERVENTION PLAN References Brooks, Dr. J. (2017). Crisis Intervention The Neurobiology of Crisis. Jackson-Cherry, L. R., & Erford, B. T. (2018). Crisis assessment, intervention, and prevention . Pearson. Ma, N., & Liu, Y. (2020). Risk factors and risk level assessment: Forty thousand emergencies over the past decade in China . Jamba 12(1), 916. https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v12i1.916 Musumeci, N., Haroun, A., Lee, L., & Davis, C. R. (2022). How patrons and police stopped and arrested the club Q shooter within minutes of him opening fire in the crowded Colorado Springs nightclub. Insider. https://www.insider.com/colorado-springs-club-q- shooting-timeline-2022-11 Karimi, F. (2022). Six Minutes of Terror: How The Deadly Club Q Shooting unfolded . CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/22/us/colorado-springs-nightclub-shooting-narrative- cec/index.html

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Wasson_Crisisinterventionplan

Related Documents