For Ann Harris

Role of the Counselor in Crisis Response

Part 1: Interview

To learn more about crisis intervention and trauma-informed  community-based strategies (such as Psychological First Aid), contact a  licensed professional individual to interview, in person or on the  telephone, who knows of an existing crisis response plan. Identify the  person you interview and their specific job or role, such as crisis  counselor or a member of the Red Cross or Federal Emergency Management  Agency (FEMA), or therapists who work with victims of PTSD or are  involved in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD), and arrange an  interview. Once you arrange a personal interview, develop a set of  open-ended questions that will allow you to gain a clear and complete  picture of the plan as it currently exists. (See the sample interview  questions provided within the assignment.)

Ask your interviewee to give you a specific example of an actual  crisis and the details of the various roles that are involved in the  plan that is utilized, including any mental health professional. Examine  what you are told by the interviewee, and compare it to the identified  elements recommended for response plans in the Mental Health All-Hazards Disaster Planning Guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS, 2003), provided in the Resources.

Part 2: Description and Analysis

Describe and analyze a counselor's role and responsibilities as a  member of interdisciplinary community outreach and emergency management  response teams in a crisis response. Summarize the responsibilities of  the counselor within the mental health component of the crisis response  system in order to identify the type of necessary training for the role  of the counselor.

To successfully complete this project, you will be expected to do the following:

1. Compare and contrast the elements of a real-world example of an  emergency management plan, obtained through your personal interview of a  professional in the field, to the elements identified in the course  studies, particularly the Mental Health All-Hazards Disaster Planning Guidance (USDHHS, 2003), provided in the Resources.
2. Summarize the responsibilities of the counselor, including the  professional role, functions, and relationships as a member of a crisis  response plan during a local, regional, or national crisis, disaster, or  other trauma-causing event (CACREP, 2016).
3. Describe in detail the specific skills and knowledge required by a  counselor in order to function effectively as a member of an  interdisciplinary emergency management response team.
4. Describe the types of training a counselor requires to develop the  required skills and knowledge relevant to emergency management.
5. Exhibit proficiency in effective, credible academic writing and critical thinking skills