Crisis Management Paper 1
Nature of the Crisis
In this episode of Intervention, the show focuses on a young woman named Melanie.
Melanie is a twenty-four-year-old single mother who is severely addicted to crack cocaine
(Harris, 2020). As the show's title indicates, the producers and directors of the program work
with families to help those addicted to various substances overcome their addictions through
intervention between the family with the addict (Harris, 2020). An addiction specialist works
closely with the family to have the addict agree to treatment and recovery at a long-term facility
(Harris, 2020).
"Addictions make people victims of their own desires" (Clinton & Hawkins, 2009, p.24)
Like many trapped in addiction, Melanie's story is one of generational addiction (Harris, 2020).
Paulette, her mother, had an alcoholic father, and Melanie's father was addicted to alcohol and
crack. Melanie does not remember her father, who took his own life when she was only eight
months old (Harris, 2020). Paulette was, of course, seriously traumatized by this event. While
doing the best she could, Paulette did not receive the therapy that she needed and, as a result, did
not function well as a single mother to her three children (Harris, 2020).
While described by the family as a fun-loving child, Melanie's attention-seeking
behaviors began at a very young age. By the time she was nine years old, she was diagnosed with
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and prescribed Ritalin (Harris, 2020). As an
adult, Melanie feels that she was misdiagnosed and was merely a child in need of positive
attention, which her mother could not give her (Harris, 2020). When she was fourteen, a boy that
she was dating introduced her to crack (Harris, 2020). Melanie admitted her addiction to her
mother and agreed to rehab at fifteen (Harris, 2020).
Crisis Management Paper 2
Melanie was in rehab for three weeks and remained clean for five years. During this time,
she went to school and even became a Personal Support Worker (Harris, 2020). At nineteen,
Melanie discovered she was pregnant shortly after ending the relationship with the man she was
dating. All seemed to be going well until shortly after Melanie gave birth to Kaleb, her son
(Harris, 2020). When he was four months old, Melanie fell into a deep depression. This student
counselor wonders if this depression may have been undiagnosed postpartum depression. As a
result, Melanie began smoking crack again. During the show's taping, Melanie is now four years
into a severe crack addiction, smoking as much as an ounce of crack each day (Harris, 2020).
Melanie lives with her mother and step-father, who have temporary custody of her son
(Harris, 2020). She describes herself as a good mother who loves her son but spends all of her
welfare and child support purchasing crack. While Paulette, her mother, claims she is against
drug use, she enables Melanie's behavior by giving her money for drugs and often takes her to
pick it up. The only members of the family who have clearly defined boundaries with Melanie
are her brother and sister, who have distanced themselves from her (Harris, 2020).
It is difficult to say if Melanie indeed had a developmental crisis at nine when she was
diagnosed with ADHD or if this was a child acting out in need of attention. The tragic death of
her father no doubt created a situational crisis for her; her bother and sister, and her mother, one
that perpetuated many of the problems the family faced over the next several years. While she
was too young to understand the significance of all that had happened, her mother's inability to
process her grief undoubtedly played a part in Melanie's upbringing.
As a result, Melanie has made many poor choices. She openly voices her internal struggle
over choosing drugs over her son. While she knows this is wrong, she feels powerless to change.
This existential crisis will be the making or breaking of Melanie. What love she has for Kaleb
Crisis Management Paper 3
could be the driving force that enables her to get clean finally. She has interpersonal conflicts
with several people, from her mother and step-father, who somehow tolerate her behavior, to her
brother and sister, who refuses to have anything to do with her until she stops using drugs.
Alleviating the Crisis
If Melanie does not take the necessary steps to overcome her drug addiction, she is at
serious risk of permanently losing custody of her son or even losing her life. Alleviating the
crisis in Melanie's life will also alleviate the ongoing crisis in her family. Her irritability, anxiety,
and erratic behavior due to the crack have taken a toll on the entire family (Harris, 2020; Liberty
University, 2021a). As it has impacted the entire family, this student counselor would
recommend that each member of the family be involved in the process of confronting Melanie
about her addiction.
Confronting a family member struggling with a severe drug addiction must come from a
place of deep love for the individual. It can often be challenging to separate the person from the
damage that their addiction has caused. They need to know that they are loved and accepted and
that the family will continue to support them (Liberty University, 2021a). However, it will no
longer be from a position of weakness, watching them destroy their lives, but from a place of
strength helping them defeat the addiction that is slowly taking their lives. It will also be
essential that Melanie become responsible for the consequences of her behavior (Liberty
University, 2021a). This will require that the family, especially her mother, stop trying to rescue
her, thus enabling Melanie to continue avoiding the painful realities of the choices that she is
making (Liberty University, 2021a).
The most straightforward approach to making these new guidelines clear to Melanie is
through an intervention by her family and friends. (Liberty University, 2021a). It is not a time to
Crisis Management Paper 4
belittle her, but an opportunity for her to hear how her drug addiction has impacted the family
and that they will no longer allow her to continue this way (Liberty University, 2021a). Melanie
will be presented with the opportunity to commit to an intensive rehab program to address her
addiction and receive the counseling that she needs to move forward with her life. Failure to
accept this opportunity will result in removal from the family home and an inability to interact
with her son until she shows that she is in recovery and maintains her sobriety. If Melanie
accepts this opportunity, the family commits to walking with her through the process, loving and
supporting her.
This student counselor would also strongly suggest that the other family members begin
counseling (Clinton & Hawkins, 2009). They have all been through years of trauma living with a
drug addict. Undoubtedly that has taken a toll on the entire family, and their ability to trust has
been damaged. Meeting with a counselor while Melanie is in rehab would allow for healing for
the family. When Melanie has completed rehab, this student counselor would also recommend
that the family meet for counseling altogether (Johnson & Johnson, 2014; Liberty University,
2021a).
Teaching Coping Skills
While this student counselor would recommend a long-term rebab for Melanie due to her
long history of use, the focus of any good program centers on cessation of the substance being
abused and developing coping skills that will help the individual prevent a relapse. For these
coping skills to be effective, the methods taught need to be holistic, including physical, mental,
and spiritual components (Wright, 2011). Each of these areas is critical to the overall well-being
of those seeking to overcome addiction.
Crisis Management Paper 5
Many individuals have successfully used a twelve-step program that incorporates a
spiritual component and focuses on personal responsibility and accountability (Liberty
University, 2021a). Individuals who lack sufficient coping skills or have a faulty perception of
situations they face will quickly relapse back into the addictions they have worked so hard to
overcome (Wright, 2011). Thus during rehab, sufficient energy must be spent developing internal
skills needed to face the challenges that await them. Melanie exhibits a great deal of emotional
weakness, not uncommon given the trauma she experienced as a child. She is also in poor
physical health (Wright, 2011). These are just two elements that make coping with the stress and
anxiety of life very difficult and, if left unchanged, will mean a return to addiction for Melanie.
During her time in rehab, there should be a focus on salvation and discipleship and how
using prayer and meditation on Scripture can strengthen her resolve when faced with a stressful
situation (Wright, 2011). Melanie needs to learn to be honest with herself about her addiction and
her inability to manage her recovery on her own. She also needs to understand how inadequate
sleep and a poor diet compound stress, making sobriety even more challenging. This knowledge
and reaching out for help from those she trusts are all coping skills to help her succeed (Wright,
2011). Melanie has family and friends who desperately want to see her succeed and are willing to
come alongside her to help, but her lack of coping skills and accountability for her actions must
be addressed.
Developing Resiliency
Like many drug addicts, Melanie developed the habit of using crack to avoid and numb
the pain of life. Developing resiliency so that she no longer feels the need to return to the use of
the drug should be a key element of her time in rehab. Once detoxed from the drugs, Melanie
must uncover what drove her to them initially. For Melanie, this should include therapy to
Crisis Management Paper 6
uncover and process through the loss of her father by suicide, his drug and alcohol addiction, and
her mother's lack of honesty about these things. Identifying this and allowing her to grieve these
losses properly may assist her in finding new ways to deal with grief and loss and void future
drug use.
Everyone has defense mechanisms they use to deal with the pain experienced in life. If
the same methods are always used and never questioned, those mechanisms can become a
negative pattern of behavior that may be unhealthy, as is the case in Melanie's drug use (Wright,
2011). Helping Melanie identify and questing how she has managed problem-solving in the past
will help her develop new ways to manage a crisis in the future. Over time, one of the significant
goals of therapy should be to help Melanie know and experience the goodness and love of God
for her personally. Developing her self-worth based on God's love for her will go a long way in
giving her the resiliency to stay away from the drugs that have nearly taken her life.
Melanie will also need to learn how to set manageable goals for herself (Sweeney, 2020).
In the beginning, these need to be simple things that gradually build her skill and confidence,
allowing her to develop both the internal and external network required to succeed. For Melanie,
this may mean learning, from her mother, how to care for Kaleb on a day-to-day basis. The next
goal could be returning to work as a Personal Support Worker or another job. Whatever the
choice, the goals should start small and grow as her self-confidence and resilience matures.
There will be challenges with both setbacks and victories along the way. Resiliency and
sobriety will take time and patience for Melanie and those around her. Continuing to grow,
knowing when to try a little harder and when to slow down and ask for help are all part of
developing the skills needed to succeed (Sweeney, 2020). Scripture never guarantees an easy life,
even for Believers, and even warns of a thief seeking to destroy our lives. However, we are
References
Crisis Management Paper 7
promised that God Himself will walk with us, giving us the strength to face each day. We only
need to turn to Him, confessing our weakness and relying upon His strength.
Crisis Management Paper 8
Clinton, T., & Hawkins, R. (2009). The quick reference guide to biblical counseling. Baker
Books. (Original work published 2007)
Harris, K. (Director). (2020, July 7). Melanie (Season 21, Episode 1). [TV series episode]. In B.
Bowlby, J. Burton, T. Powers (Executive Producers), Intervention. Ontario: A& E
Television Networks.
Johnson, W. B., & Johnson, W. L. (2014). The minister's guide to psychological disorders and
treatments (2 nd ed.). Routledge.
Liberty University. (2021a). PACO604: Models of crisis care. Week five, lecture two. Substance
abuse and crisis care. Watch: Substance Abuse & Crisis Care: PACO604: Crisis
Intervention in Pastoral Counseling (D03) (liberty.edu)
Sweeney, S. (2020, March 24). Coping and resiliency according to psychology. HidraWear.
Coping & Resilience According to Psychology - HidraWear
Wright, H. N. (2011). The complete guide to crisis & trauma counseling: What to do and say
when it matters most!. Bethany House.
