Crisis Response plan: Group Crisis Intervention

 Crisis Response plan: Group Crisis Intervention
APA Research Paper


When children and adolescents experience crises, it is essential to undergo group crisis counseling to meet their mental health needs. Group crisis counseling helps both the children and parents to minimize the stress of the event. It also provides emotional support to those affected and permits them to improve their coping strategies. Different theoretical perspectives will be utilized to address the relevant issues. Some applicable aspects will include integrative, behavioral, and psychodynamic theories. This study, however, will focus on cognitive theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Behavioral Theory

The counseling theory that will guide the crisis intervention is the cognitive theoretical perspective. It was developed in the 1960s by a social scientist Aaron Beck (Corey, 2009). He defines cognitive theory as the way different factors affect the brain, both extrinsically and intrinsically, and contribute to an individual’s learning process. This paper will analyze the cognitive behavioral theory and gain further understanding using social cognitive theoretical underpinnings. It aims at shedding light on how behavioral, environmental, and personal factors play a role in influencing the decisions of adolescents to make. It will also enable parents, teachers, and community members to identify the cause of a problem to promote suicide prevention. Several different factors come into play, namely behavioral determinants, environmental factors, and personal experiences (Corey & Corey, 2011). Thus, it is essential for an adolescent to develop in an adequate environment. The adoption of a healthy lifestyle will influence not only their present but also their interpretation of the past. Such factors focus on how an individual forms self-concepts influenced by their beliefs, environment, and past. Ultimately, it goes a long way towards shaping their perspectives to be interpreted as either positive or negative. Group crisis intervention will enable the participants to understand their behaviors through the use of cognitive theory (Corey, 2009). 

Skills Required in Diverse Groups

             The crisis intervention plan will aim at having an inclusive approach wherein different factors such as children’s mental health and their environmental conditions are assessed. The therapist can start by evaluating the thinking process of different members of the group. The goal will be to equip them with a skill set that helps them convert negative or dysfunctional thinking into a positive one and more self-awareness (Watts & Pietrzak, 2000). This can be achieved by being aware of the negative factors affecting and acknowledging them instead of dismissing. Using cognitive behavioral theory will emphasize the understanding that thoughts influence emotions, which in turn influence actions (Hersen & Gross, 2008). With increased awareness, the students have more power to choose the activity to participate in and should be able to merge their thoughts with their core beliefs which are influenced by their environment and their personality (Watts & Pietrzak, 2000). As for the parents, teachers, and community, they should analyze the validity of their cognitive record with concerning how they are raising children in the society. The reflection on activities such as upbringing, guidance, community involvement, and policies are also very important (Corey, 2009). Both groups can practice positive activity scheduling which involves recording enjoyable experiences (Watts & Pietrzak, 2000). The activity can also be carried out through helping the students and guardians to engage in a behavior that enhances their sense of competence, mastery, or accomplishment. Another skill would be imagery-based exposure. This activity involves recalling an event that provokes strong negative emotions with a goal of picturing the event until the distress level is lowered to about half its initial level. For the participating parties, they will be able to lessen the effect of loss caused by the death of the students. The process helps to make intrusive, painful memories less likely to trigger rumination and depression. All these activities require inclusion and an open platform where all the individuals feel free to express themselves. It is a significant, contributing factor in building and maintaining a rapport with the group. As a specialist, I will be attentive and considerate to the varying emotions of the different groups, thereby enabling the participants of the session to bond as one solid group as they engage in the healing process.

Student and Parent Group Outline

The counseling phase will follow different outlines (Corey & Corey, 2011). For both groups, the introductory phase will involve informing them about the reason for the session. It will establish the rules of the period together, such as no use of electronic devices, identifying the members, establ