How to Coach Yourself and Others Empowering Coaching And Crisis Interventions | Page 130

This book is in B&W, not color - Print page in Grayscale for Correct view! Exploring possible alternative solutions How does a crisis services provider help the person go about exploring possible alternative solutions? Several questions are pertinent to exploring alternatives: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What does the person believe is the most important issue that he/she is dealing with? What is the person hoping for? What does the person think he/she needs? What has he/she already tried? What has worked in the past? What personal and community resources does this person have to draw on? Many people in crisis tend to see their world in black and white. They feel that they have limited options. Offer alternatives that the person may not have thought of. Evaluating In a supportive conversation, you will not want to stop at listening. Towards the end of the conversation, you will want the other to take a next step, start changing things, commit to action. Examples: So, where does this leave us? What will you do next? How will this help you to proceed towards your goal? What will be your first step now? Formulating an action or crisis plan If someone has an active mental health provider, it is possible they may have an existing crisis plan they have developed with their mental health provider. If this is the case, it is necessary to try to access the person's current crisis plan. If a plan has not been developed then the person may find it useful to develop a plan. The plan that is developed should be short-term, clear, doable and developed as much as possible by the person experiencing the crisis situation. Specific activities that will give the person the feeling of control over his/her life should be included. Alternatives to harmful or unproductive behavior should be included. For instance, instead of going for a drive when feeling upset, the person might decide to call a friend or play with the dog. Including resources identified by the individual is also useful. The person may be able to think of these resources when he/she is working with the crisis services provider but may not be able to identify them when alone or in the midst of an escalating situation. Writing the plan down and making a copy for both the person and the crisis services provider is important. The crisis services provider may also find it appropriate to make referrals to other services in the community. They may serve an "introductory role" to ensure that a person who has experienced a crisis makes connections with services that he/she needs to prevent further crises. Agreeing on Follow-up measures The follow up service is a very important part of the crisis intervention services. These services can range from a telephone call or a face-to-face contact the next day, depending on the need of the person. Follow-up measures should be written into the crisis plan and agreed to by both the person and the crisis service provider. For [email protected] Property of Bookemon, do NOT distribute 130