DB post and replies
Discussion post: Rank in order five of the crisis intervention counseling models you've read about in Chapter 2 of Fundamentals of Crisis Counseling and share your ranking on the discussion board. Then respond to the following: What were the factors that shaped the ranking of your response to the crisis intervention models? Might you change the ranking if you were working with a client from a different culture? Explain your response and then apply your first choice of a model to the following brief case:
You are a counselor at a community mental health center and have just read the intake notes for a new adult male client you will see next week. His presenting problem is that he witnessed his brother being shot and killed about a month ago.
How would the model you chose address the issue this client is bringing into counseling?
A substantive initial post answers the question presented completely and/or asks a thoughtful question pertaining to the topic. Substantive peer responses ask a thoughtful question pertaining to the topic and/or answers a question (in detail) posted by another student or the instructor.
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My post:
200 words and one scholarly source
Classmate one response: The order that I have placed the models is below. I do know that these would absolutely vary depending upon the client, the situation, and cultural norms for the client.
#1. Equilibrium "typical coping mechanisms/ problem- solving approaches are inadequate" (Miller, 2012 p. 23). This approach is recommended to be used early in intervention. This is the most imperative as we need to get the client into a balance. There is no moving forward if the client remains in a fight or flight reaction.
#2. Cognitive "Practices faulty thinking about surrounding events or situations of the crisis" (Miller, 2012 p. 23). This one is very important as humans tend to fill in the gaps with imagination. Moving forward can not happen if the client does not have the true facts about the situation.
#3. Developmental "Responds to the crisis in terms of resolution of developmental tasks and environmental issues, as well as the interaction between them" (Miller, 2012 p. 23). Without knowing the developmental stage of client it is not possible to understand what they will understand in terms of treatment.
#4. Psychological "Reacts out of the combination of biological factors and social learning in response to the environment(s)" (Miller, 2012 p. 23). By understanding the level at which the client is performing is important to analyze the progression of assistance and how to perform the care. Knowing the factors that contribute is important, when the client is able to look to resolve the environmental and internal issues that contribute to the issues, they can hope to not repeat them.
#5. Contextual "Reactions are based on three contextual crisis factors (physical proximity and reactions moderated through perception and attributional meaning; reciprocity between individual and system reactions; impact of time that has passed and special occasions)" (Miller, 2012 p. 23). This model is mainly theoretical and focuses on understanding the whole picture of the crisis.
In the situation concerning the young man who had seen his brother murdered, I believe that Cognitive would be a very important step. With a tragic such as this, we do not know where the young man’s thoughts lie, is he blaming himself somehow, what were the circumstances around the murder, are there ways that this young man may hold himself responsible, these are issues that would need to be discussed to be able to even start working on balancing his equilibrium.
References:
Miller, G. (2012). Fundamentals of crisis counseling. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. ISBN 13: 9780470438305
My Response to classmate one:
100 words
Classmate Two response: The five crisis counseling intervention models are ranked below in order of the one's I feel are most valuable in a crisis situation. It is important to note that every crisis and person is different and their needs vary so being flexible in order to find the right model is important.
Equilibrium- Equilibrium is the crisis early intervention model that is used early on. This is when the client is experiencing a state of crisis and needs some coping skills to return to his/her previous state of equilibrium prior to the existing crisis.
Psychosocial/Transition- This model is based on the fact that both internal and external influences helped contribute to the crises and the person’s perception of it, and that internal and external influences should help the client solve the problem.
Cognitive-This model refers to a person's perception of a crisis. This perception is often that the crisis is overwhelming and is accompanied by a feeling of hopelessness that the crisis is not able to be overcome. This model helps the client become aware of their perception and change the way that they feel about it, moving in a direction that supports positive changes.
Developmental/Ecological- This model uses the focus on a person’s developmental stage in life to best treat them. It looks at the relationship between the individual and their environment based on their developmental stage.
Contextual/Ecological- This model looks at the context of the crisis in relation to how much time has passed since the triggering event. This model does not focus on goals.
I think that equilibrium is an important first step for resetting the clients mode of operations so that they are able to receive help surrounding the crisis. If a person is in a frantic state they are generally not receptive to help and so resetting the equilibrium is an important first step. Next I think that it is important to consider the psychosocial/transition model in order to learn more about the crisis, influences that contributed to it, and the client's perception of the crisis. Knowing their perception and influences is an important step in order to guide treatment. The cognitive model is then used to guide the clients perceptions and change their reactions. This model could be utilized long term to create goals and guide the client to make positive changes. Developmental/Ecological and Contextual/Ecological would be models that might be appropriate in addition in order to gain a better understanding of the client and their situation.
In the case of an adult male client who witnessed his brother being shot a month ago, I would first apply the Psychosocial/Transition model to understand the circumstances and how the client is perceiving this situation. This would help to understand the state that the client is in and what internal and external factors the client would need to address in our sessions. I would also use the Contextual/Ecological model as an additional support to gain a better understanding since some minimal time has passed and he is likely beginning to process the events. Using the information given from the client, using these models, it would best guide the map of treatment moving forward.
My response to classmate two:
100 words