Community Intervention Plan
Liberty University
Crisis Intervention Plan
Crisis Defined
The term risk assessment is something that many people have
become more familiar with, especially during this past year. Unfortunately,
as we dealt with the unexpected, people came to realize how woefully
unprepared many, including governments and businesses planned and
handled things amid a crisis (Goedegebuure & Meek, 2021). There can be a
variety of reasons why responses to the Crisis seemed so confusing, and
perhaps one central reason is that for most failed to acknowledge the
presence of a crisis in a timely manner, and so the response seen was one
of chaos that included unplanned and contradictory response to the crisis
(Goedegebuure & Meek, 2021). That is why in creating a crisis intervention
plan, knowing the full definition of what constitutes a crisis, is essential.
To understand Crisis intervention, we must look beyond the limited
scope of a “crisis only being a crisis to those who see it”, and acknowledge it
as one (Antczak & Osbeck, 2020). Crisis can occur as a result of various
settings and initiated by a variety of reasons. Different situations like natural
disasters, terrorism, murder, and suicide are not considered in themselves a
crisis but are an event that can lead to one. “A crisis is seen as an event that
may or may not be perceived as a disruption of life (Jackson-Cherry & Erford,
,2018, p.1).” Overall, there is a trinity of essential elements that are relevant
and must be present for something to be considered a
crisis. First, there must be an event or situation seen as triggering. Second,
the perception of that event must lead to distress being caused. Finally, as a
result of the continual distress, limited or diminished functioning occurs, as
regular coping mechanism or other resources fail to provide help or
assistance (Jackson-Cherry & Erford, 2018).
, Ultimately a crisis is defined as “an event that presents a real or
perceived threat to life or security (Brooks, 2017, p.9).” It is when they feel
threatened a person experiences a physical
and emotional response that can cause them to experience a distressed
state. While the terms stress, crisis, and trauma have been used
interchangeable, in crisis intervention, it is important to understand the
difference. The crisis, as stated above, is the event itself. Stress or Distress
is the response to the crisis event. In crisis intervention, one must
understand that neither the event nor the stress response are considered to
be traumatic in themselves (Jackson-Cherry & Erford,
2018).
To understand when a crisis event leads to distress and becomes
traumatic, it is important to understand the neurobiology of a crisis response
(Brooks, 2017). When a person is operating from a state of distress, their
limbic system, along with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) Axis are
responding (Seo et al., 2019; Sherin & Nemeroff, 2011). During crisis
response these active areas of the brain control the threat response system,
and triggers a flight, fight, or freeze reaction (Brooks, 2017). In crisis
response, the threat response system causes the pituitary gland to release
hormones of adrenaline, cortisol, and dopamine, to increase heart rate so
that they are ready to respond however is best. When a person continues to
experience an extended threat response, the body continues to produce
cortisol, which in return can eventually lead to damage
of brain cells, liking it to the affects of a traumatic brain injury even (Brooks,
2017; Snipes,
Liberty University
Crisis Intervention Plan
Crisis Defined
The term risk assessment is something that many people have
become more familiar with, especially during this past year. Unfortunately,
as we dealt with the unexpected, people came to realize how woefully
unprepared many, including governments and businesses planned and
handled things amid a crisis (Goedegebuure & Meek, 2021). There can be a
variety of reasons why responses to the Crisis seemed so confusing, and
perhaps one central reason is that for most failed to acknowledge the
presence of a crisis in a timely manner, and so the response seen was one
of chaos that included unplanned and contradictory response to the crisis
(Goedegebuure & Meek, 2021). That is why in creating a crisis intervention
plan, knowing the full definition of what constitutes a crisis, is essential.
To understand Crisis intervention, we must look beyond the limited
scope of a “crisis only being a crisis to those who see it”, and acknowledge it
as one (Antczak & Osbeck, 2020). Crisis can occur as a result of various
settings and initiated by a variety of reasons. Different situations like natural
disasters, terrorism, murder, and suicide are not considered in themselves a
crisis but are an event that can lead to one. “A crisis is seen as an event that
may or may not be perceived as a disruption of life (Jackson-Cherry & Erford,
,2018, p.1).” Overall, there is a trinity of essential elements that are relevant
and must be present for something to be considered a
crisis. First, there must be an event or situation seen as triggering. Second,
the perception of that event must lead to distress being caused. Finally, as a
result of the continual distress, limited or diminished functioning occurs, as
regular coping mechanism or other resources fail to provide help or
assistance (Jackson-Cherry & Erford, 2018).
, Ultimately a crisis is defined as “an event that presents a real or
perceived threat to life or security (Brooks, 2017, p.9).” It is when they feel
threatened a person experiences a physical
and emotional response that can cause them to experience a distressed
state. While the terms stress, crisis, and trauma have been used
interchangeable, in crisis intervention, it is important to understand the
difference. The crisis, as stated above, is the event itself. Stress or Distress
is the response to the crisis event. In crisis intervention, one must
understand that neither the event nor the stress response are considered to
be traumatic in themselves (Jackson-Cherry & Erford,
2018).
To understand when a crisis event leads to distress and becomes
traumatic, it is important to understand the neurobiology of a crisis response
(Brooks, 2017). When a person is operating from a state of distress, their
limbic system, along with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) Axis are
responding (Seo et al., 2019; Sherin & Nemeroff, 2011). During crisis
response these active areas of the brain control the threat response system,
and triggers a flight, fight, or freeze reaction (Brooks, 2017). In crisis
response, the threat response system causes the pituitary gland to release
hormones of adrenaline, cortisol, and dopamine, to increase heart rate so
that they are ready to respond however is best. When a person continues to
experience an extended threat response, the body continues to produce
cortisol, which in return can eventually lead to damage
of brain cells, liking it to the affects of a traumatic brain injury even (Brooks,
2017; Snipes,
