Kathy Metzenbauer
Family Living Agent
Juneau Co. UW-Extension
kathleen.metzenbauer@ces.uwex.edu
UW-Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming
including Title IX and ADA
Characteristics common to
people in crisis
 Guidelines for working with
people under stress
 Resources
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http://Playspent.org
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How do you feel about your resources?
What did you think to do?
Did you ask anyone to share?
Did anyone offer to share?
Negative physical & mental health
 Not responsive to traditional
delivery methods
 Live crisis to crisis resulting in
high stress
 Limited choices
 Limited positive role models
 Low self-esteem
 Pervasive hopelessness

1. Acknowledge personal identity.
2. Invite people to share their crisis
experience.
3. Draw out and affirm strengths &
resources.
4. Shift focus from what happened to
what they can do.
5. Identify sources of resilience they can
tap into.
6. Identify personal resources.
7. Help people overcome cycle of
repeating.
8. Forge a trusting relationship.
9. Encourage prioritizing needs.
10. Encourage family potential.
11. Increase family’s ability to solve
problems.
12. Encourage families to not
isolate themselves.
Resilience-Oriented Approach
How do we help?
 The way we
communicate
 Confidentiality
 Listen
How do we help?
Follow up:
 Next steps
 Clear instructions
 Resources
1. Focus on success
2. Keep a journal
3. Maintain perspective
4. Offer resources
5. Suggest organization – declutter
Conclusion
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Dealing with a Drop in Income. Wisconsin: University of WisconsinExtension (2009).
(www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/economics/resources_flp.cfm)
Getting Through Tough Times: Identifying Sources of Support and
Friendship. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Extension ( 2007).
Managing Your Personal Finances in Tough Times. Wisconsin:
University of Wisconsin-Extension (2011). (fyi.uwex.edu/toughtimes/)
Organize Your Important Papers. Iowa: Iowa State University Extension
(2007). (http://www.extension.org/pages/12474/organize-yourimportant-papers/print/)
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Parrott, Kathleen, Krishnaswamy, Arun, & Burkett, Sarah. (1996)
Securing Your Future: Housing Education for Low-Income Audiences.
Journal of Extension, 34, (5)
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Recovery After Disaster: The Family Financial Toolkit. Minnesota:
University of Minnesota Extension (2011).
(http://www.extension.umn.edu/family/tough-times)
Rupered, M. (1993). Understanding limited resource audience:
Content or process? In V.S. Fitzsimmons (Ed). Proceedings of the
Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education: Economic
change: Challenges for financial counseling and planning
professionals (pp. 253-261). San Antonio, TX: Association for
Financial Counseling and Planning Education.
Walsh, F. (2004) Strengthening Family Resilience. New York: Guiliford
Valladares, Sherylis, & Moore, Kristen. (2009) The Strengths of Poor
Families. Washington, D.C.: Child Trends Research Brief