How to Coach Yourself and Others Empowering Coaching And Crisis Interventions | Page 18

This book is in B&W, not color - Print page in Grayscale for Correct view!  extreme detachment or withdrawal/isolation If the crisis assessment determines that crisis intervention services are needed, the intervention services must be provided as urgent or emergent. Who may conduct a crisis assessment intervention? Whereas mental health crisis interventions should be always conducted by trained, credentialed and/or approved mental health personnel and professionals who have a licensed psychiatrist or physician experienced in psychiatry available for consultation, everybody will live through moments in life when the circumstances require of them that they act to help and support people going though a personal crisis. What is the function of hotlines in this context? Hotlines are designed to help individuals to handle crisis situations. Hotlines cannot operate alone. They rely on a network of other organisations that offer professional health and counselling services Hotline telephone operators can: - Listen to people without judging; support them in their journey by showing empathy for them and their problems - Provide basic information - Connect people to available resources where they may find practical help - Provide limited emotional support Hotline telephone operators cannot do the following: - Tell People what to do - Provide extensive counselling or emotional support - Provide medical care or services directly For all hotline telephone operators and first line service providers in a professional environment, a structured approach providing the necessary administrative, educational and emotional support must be put into place: information and training should be made available to all operators, including up to date referral lists and resources for callers, training in communication techniques, assertiveness, setting personal boundaries and personal stress reduction strategies, as well as offering an outlet to talk about their feelings and a chance to discuss difficult calls. Supervisors should express appreciation for a job well done. Positive feedback is important for operators to feel they are doing a good job. "Debriefing", "case review" or "psychological first aid" are terms used by mental health professionals to describe interventions that should be available when a crisis service provider experiences a completed suicide or traumatic event that involves a service recipient. The goal of these interventions is to allow a crisis service provider to express their personal reactions to the event and to identify steps that might relieve stress symptoms related to their exposure to the event. In some cases, emergency mental health interventions may include staff members outside of the crisis service provider. Any of these interventions should be conducted by, or in consultation with, a trained mental health professional in the area of emergency mental health services. Debriefing occurs preferably in a structured manner, occurs immediately after a shift, and is mainly supportive and not as formal as supervision. By taking place immediately following a shift, operators can discuss feelings about upsetting calls and deal with responding to other issues, prior to the next shift. Making a difference in someone's life, helping individuals improve their lives and find solutions to their problems, can be extremely challenging and satisfying for those who enjoy seeing the positive results of their direct action. For [email protected] Property of Bookemon, do NOT distribute 18