CRISIS INTERVENTION 1
Crisis Intervention Plan
Shanna Crawford
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
CRISIS INTERVENTION 2
Crisis Intervention Plan
Defining Crisis
Defining Crisis
In life, there may be disruptions, but they may or may not be considered a crisis situation
and it may not lead to a traumatic situation. However, if a person experiences several crises, or if
past crises have not been settled properly, that person could endure trauma. Normally, a crisis is
defined in four parts: 1) a downward or declining event; 2) the impression that the event has led
to personal catastrophe; 3) when normal coping tools are utilized and if no relief is had, then
decreased behavior happens; and 4) a temporary disequilibrium state (Jackson-Cherry & Erford,
2017; Brooks, 2017). Crisis can affect an individual, a community, a nation, or the world. An
example of each is: 1) an individual – long term sexual abuse; 2) a community – the
displacements from a hurricane; 3) a nation – the after effects of the terrorist attack on 9/11; and
4) the world – the effects of Covid-19. The key factor to a crisis is the disruption of one’s life.
That may be determined by one’s coping skills, resources, support system, and resilience
(Jackson-Cherry & Erford, 2017).
Neurobiology of Crisis
Crisis is also defined as a sensed or anticipated threat to one’s life or safety. This brings
the person to an emotional or physical catastrophic state that a mental response to such crisis
starts and “the brain goes into crisis mode” (Brooks, 2017, p. 9). Someone who is in a
