Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Outreach/Crisis Intervention

a. John 8:1-11

 * The crises are the adultery of the woman, the pride, self-righteousness and hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees and the attempted temptation of Jesus. The human needs here are forgiveness, mercy, humility and compassion.  The adulteress woman is in need of receiving mercy, forgiveness and compassion.  The scribes and Pharisees need all these exact same things as well as humility.

b. Luke 15:11-32

 * There are at least four crises in this passage. The first is a son who does not appreciate all that his father does for him.  Secondly a father losing his son to riotous living.  Third,a son being alone and without aid and provisions.  Lastly, a son who is selfish and lacking empathy for his own brother.  The needs here are the similar as in the previous example: forgiveness, mercy, humility, understanding and compassion.  The lost son is in need of humility, receiving mercy, understanding and empathy for his brother.  The son who remained with the father needs all of these.

c. Luke 8:40-56

 * There are many crises here: a dying 12 year-old daughter, a woman with an issue of blood, a dead daughter and a house full of doubters. The needs here were physical healing and worry. Both the daughter and the woman had infirmities that only Jesus could care after.  He also provided comfort to the woman (verse 48) and to the man with the sick daughter (verse 50) and removed the doubt from their lives (verse 54).

d. Matthew 8:1-22

 * The crises here are abundant: a leper destined to die, a sick servant, Peter’s sick mother, devil possessed, many that were sick and the dead father of a disciple of Jesus.  Faith was needed in each of these instances.

3a. Describe for your instructor some of the human needs and crisis situations that teenagers in your community face today.

 * Bullying - everything from clothing to type of music is something bullies use to alienate teens
 * Divorcing parents - leave kids seeking attention from one or sometimes both parents. Sometime there is overcompensation by guilt filled parents and kid is given everything they as for, leading to an overall lack of appreciation for things.
 * Poverty - can be a distraction for children when they don’t have sufficient food, clothes that don’t fit or cannot afford needed or basic supplies
 * Exclusion based on beliefs - can diminish self-esteem when alienated for their beliefs (religious, political, etc.), being forced to be a loner can lead to depression
 * Suicide - many kids don’t see any other way out of their problems.
 * Abuse - abusive people are everywhere. Abuse can be in many forms (emotional, sexual, physical, neglect)

All these crises among teens can be solvable things. They need guidance and attention, someone to show they see worth in them and physical needs met for those in situations of poverty. An introduction to Jesus and his gospel could go a long way toward providing hope and purpose.

3b. Describe some of the crisis situations that families face. This may be done in a group discussion setting.

 * Divorce - is a very difficult thing for a family. Feelings of fear, resentment, anger and more can all make it very hard for a family and its members to recover.
 * Poverty - can not only lead to some types of intentional and unintentional neglect, it can destroy the confidence of a parent, it can stifle the overall family dynamic.
 * Abuse - comes in many forms.  It’s sometimes hard to recognize and the victims may sometimes feel as though the abuse is their fault causing them to try to hide or justify it.  This can make it even harder to identify and also much more difficult to provide aid.

5. Describe at least three types of human needs and give a real-life example of each.

 * Physiological Needs - these are biological requirements for human survival: e.g. air, food, drink, shelter, clothing, warmth, sleep
 * Emotional Needs - the need to feel and be loved and accepted for who you are is a basic need for every human being
 * Certainty – A sense of security, safety and comfort in the world
 * Variety – A sense of change, interest and adventure
 * Significance – A sense of uniqueness, individuality and being special
 * Love & Connection – A sense of acceptance, belonging and support
 * Growth – A desire to learn, grow and evolve
 * Contribution – The desire to give to those around us
 * Spiritual - includes faith or what provides a sense of personal meaning in life (and death)
 * The need to believe that life is meaningful and has purpose – The success of Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose-Driven Life may be evidence that people really are searching for meaning and purpose in life.
 * The need for a sense of a deeper community and deeper relationship – The church is not a building but a community of like-minded people, uniting in the common bond in Christ.
 * The need to be appreciated and respected. God is no respecter of persons and each person is created in the image of God and deserving of dignity and respect.
 * The need to be listened to and heard
 * The need to feel that one is growing in faith – All living things grow. The lack of growth means the living thing is either not a living thing or it has died! If we are alive in Christ, made into a new creation, how can we not continue to grow in our faith?
 * The need for practical help in developing a mature faith

6. Explain the steps in a crisis intervention process and apply each step to a case study.
Acting strategies are used in steps 4, 5, and 6. Ideally, these steps are [implemented] in a collaborative manner, but if the “person” is unable to participate, it may be necessary to become more directive in helping mobilize their coping skills. Listening skills are an important part of these steps, and the counsellor will mainly function in nondirective, collaborative, or directive ways, depending on the assessment of the individual.
 * Defining the problem to understand the issue from the person's point of view. This requires using core listening skills of empathy, genuineness and acceptance.
 * Ensuring the “person's safety. It is necessary to continually keep the “person's” safety at the forefront of all interventions. This means constantly assessing the possibility of physical and psychological danger to the “person” as well as to others. Assessing and ensuring safety are a continuous part of the crisis intervention process.
 * Providing support, by communicating care for the “person”, and giving emotional as well as instrumental and informational supports.
 * Examining alternatives, which may be based on three possible perspectives: a) supporting the “person” to assess their situational resources, or those people known to them in the present or past who might care about what happens to them; b) helping the “person” identify coping mechanisms or actions, behaviours, or environmental resources that they might use to help them get through the present crisis; and c) assisting the “person” to examine their thinking patterns and if possible, find ways to reframe their situation in order to alter their view of the problem, which can decrease her anxiety level.
 * Making a plan led by the “person”, which is very detailed and outlines the persons, groups and other referral resources that can be contacted for immediate support. Provide coping mechanisms and action steps that are concrete and positive for the individual to do in the present. It is important that planning is done in collaboration with the “person” as much as possible, to ensure they feel a sense of ownership of the plan. It is important that they do not feel robbed of their power, independence, or self-respect. The most important issues in planning are the person’s sense of control and autonomy. Planning is about getting through the short-term in order to achieve some sense of equilibrium and stability.
 * Obtaining commitment. Control and autonomy are important to the final step of the process, which involves asking the “person” to verbally summarize the plan. In some incidents where lethality is involved, the commitment may be written down and signed by both individuals. The goal is to enable the “person” to commit to the plan, and to take definite positive steps toward re-establishing a pre-crisis state of functioning. The commitments made by the “person” need to be voluntary and realistic.

==7. Demonstrate a grasp of basic listening skills by conducting an interview of at least 10 minutes duration. This interview must either be observed by an observer who can recognize listening skills, or taped for review by your instructor. The interview does not have to be with a person who is in crisis, but it must be a real conversation not pretend or role-playing.==

8. Explain how to make a referral to a professional counselor or pastor.

 * Describe the person’s behaviors/statements that concern you. It can be helpful to note the magnitude and duration of these behaviors. For example, “I'm concerned about you because you have come to my office in tears twice this week.”
 * Give your reason for making the referral and then recommend that the person get counseling. "You and I have talked several times, and it seems that things are not getting better for you. I think it would be helpful for you to talk with a professional counselor."
 * Ask for feedback from the person. Find out how the person feels about the idea of going to counseling. If the person responds negatively, listen for the reasons.
 * Reassure them about counseling. Explain that counselors see many people who can use some help with problems in living. Having the courage to face one's problems in counseling indicates strength, not weakness. You might also mention that counselors are legally and ethically required to respect client confidentiality.
 * Recommend that the person set up an appointment soon
 * If you see the person again, follow up to see if he/she kept his/her appointment.