Crisis Intervention in a Case of Psychological Trauma: A Guide to Ensuring Client Safety and Providing Support

This article discusses the crisis intervention process in a case of psychological trauma, focusing on ensuring client safety, providing emotional support, examining alternatives, making plans, and obtaining commitment. It also highlights the importance of personal safety measures and coping mechanisms.

Running head: CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Criminal Justice
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Option 4:
 Defining the problem – The problem that had occurred in this scenario is that John, Jane and
their son had met with an accident. During the accident, Jane was driving the car and
surprisingly she barely got a scratch whereas her husband John was paralyzed and went into
coma. Jan lost her son in that very accident. However, Jane was not responsible for the
accident as per the case study. The actual problem that had been identified is that Jane had
been going through a mental trauma due to this accident. She has been feeling guilty for
John’s condition and losing their son, which John has no idea about as he has been in coma.
The psychological effect has been driving Jane crazy even after three months of the accident
(Kanel, 2014).
 Ensuring client safety – For personal safety during such cases, especially while driving the
person driving and others, travelling with they should put on their safety belts. Ensuring
safety generally means a continuous assessment of the probability of physical and
psychological danger to the client as well as to others (Lin, 2017). This is a continuous
procedure of ensuring safety of crisis intervention. In case of road accidents, the one driving
must observe and focus on the road and not be unmindful or callous. Jane would have been
more careful and John and their son should have put on the safety belts.
 Providing support – It is important to communicate with the client. Emotional support should
be given to the client. In the situation of Jane, she has not been the usual mental state even
after three months of the accident. She has broken down emotionally and has been affected
psychologically badly. The guilt of Jane has driven her mentally crazy. She has lost her son
and almost her husband since he is in coma. Therefore, she should be given emotional and
mental support. Diverting her mind will give her a little peace and not feel guilty. Strategies
needs to be applied to make her feel better (Compton, et al., 2014). According to Jane, she
thought she would get rid of the guilt by swallowing sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Instead,
she should be given the support to lift up her mood and distract her mind.
 Examining alternatives – Alternatives are generally examined from three possible
perspectives. The basic is to support the individual to assess their situational or those people
known to Jane in present or past should take care about what will happen to her in the future.
Secondly, Jane must be helped identifying coping mechanisms, behaviors, actions or
environmental resources that she needs to use to get through the mental trauma she has been
going through since three months. The third perspective is to examine the thinking pattern of
Jane and to find ways to reframe Jane’s situation (Turner, 2017). This will help to view the
problem that can be altered and lower the level of anxiety of Jane.
 Making plans – After examining the alternatives provided to the client, plans must be made.
The objective is to aim on concrete steps that will help to restore control in the life of Jane.
Since, she also needs to identify other resources that will provide additional extra support.
The purpose of making the plan is to make feel Jane empowered by the plan so that they can
go ahead with it and working collaboratively is majorly important in such a situation. Seeking
planning procedures of treatment have often led to successful outcomes (Capuzzi & Stauffer,
2016). Jane needs to get out of the trauma and must stop blaming herself for John’s condition
and the death of her son.
 Obtaining Commitment – The last and final step is to obtain commitment. Obtaining
commitment from the client is important. If the process or the method have been successful
with the client, it is usually easier to gain the commitment of the client. Thereafter, following
up the safety of the client is essential to ensure safety. Similarly, Jane should also inform
them about her situation and how better she has become from before.

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References:
Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. D. (2016). Counseling and psychotherapy: Theories and interventions.
John Wiley & Sons.
Compton, M. T., Bakeman, R., Broussard, B., Hankerson-Dyson, D., Husbands, L., Krishan, S., ... &
Watson, A. C. (2014). The police-based crisis intervention team (CIT) model: I. effects on
officers’ knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Psychiatric services, 65(4), 517-522.
Kanel, K. (2014). A guide to crisis intervention. Cengage Learning.
Lin, N. (2017). 101. A Study of Mental Health Crisis of Undergraduates and Construction of
Intervention Model in the Context of New Media. Revista de la Facultad de
Ingeniería, 32(14).
Turner, F. J. (2017). Social work treatment: Interlocking theoretical approaches. Oxford University
Press.