Student Crisis Intervention Essay

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As more students with emotional, behavioral and mental health issues receive counseling and educational services in public schools, it is increasingly important for educators to have strategies and tools to effectively prevent and manage crisis behaviors. Over time, intervention techniques used in schools have evolved, changed and several have been found to be inappropriate, ineffective or dangerous. While intervention techniques are viewed as strategies used for school-wide crises, educators may encounter individual student crisis more often. Because of this, it is important to focus on crisis intervention strategies for individual students. For educators to choose and implement effective crisis interventions into schools, they must understand …show more content…

5, 2016). Crisis interventions are immediate and short-term techniques used to minimize the impact ad prevent school and personal crises. Effective interventions also promote skill development because of the positive affects it has on a child's self-esteem, decision-making abilities, peer relationships, and academic achievement (Dobizl, 2002). While there is never a good time for a crisis to occur in school, having staff and students prepared with a plan can positively affect the intensity, duration, and outcome of a school-based crisis. Moreover, research suggests that it is impossible to pinpoint one specific crisis techniques that address all potential crises. No single theory or school of thought encompasses every view of human crisis or all the models or systems of crisis intervention (James, Gilliland, & Burl, 2016, p. 14). Crises require that all individuals involved understand the systematic action required of all players. Teachers help create cooperative work environments in their classrooms by teaching and implementing new learning activities that are attractive and relevant and that targets their student’s individual learning styles (Kronick, 1997). Much like an academic intervention, crisis intervention techniques are most effective when the learner and the helper understand the …show more content…

Assessment is important because it enables the educator to gather pertinent information to guide the action. The interventionist assesses the severity of the crisis; the client’s current emotional, behavioral, and cognitive status; the alternatives, coping mechanisms, support systems, and other resources available to the client; is the client danger to self and others; and how well the worker is doing in de-escalating and defusing the situation and returning the client to a state of equilibrium and mobility (James, et al, 2016, p. 58). Ideally, all personal crises would be defused by a well-prepared and trained staff member. When students observe that someone is listening to their frustrations and concerns, it validates and empowers the student to de-escalate their emotions. Staff trained in de-escalation must understand that their emotions can “tip the scale” for the person in crisis. Verbal de-escalation techniques have the potential to decrease agitation and reduce the potential for associated violence (Richmond, Berlin, Fishkind, Avrim, Holloman, Zeller, Wilson, 2012, p.

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