Summer 2010
Southern Connecticut State University
Counseling and School Psychology
CSP 549: Issues in Crisis Intervention (Theory and Method)
Instructor:
Louisa L. Foss, PhD, NCC, LPC
Email:
fossl1@southernct.edu
Office:
115 A Davis Hall
Office Hours:
Phone:
203-392-5154
Meeting Location:
Meeting Times:
Credits:
3
Course Description: CSP 549 Issues in Crisis Intervention (Theory and Method)
A course specifically designed to give the counselor/therapist a theoretical and practical background in crisis
intervention in both school and community settings. Prerequisite: CSP 550 or equivalent and departmental
permission. Scheduled summer semesters. 3credits.
Methods of Instruction
 Lectures and topical presentations
 Vignette case analysis
 Video and multimedia
 eLearning VISTA online threaded discussions
Content Areas and Desired Knowledge/Skill Outcomes
As a result of this course, students will acquire the following knowledge and skills according to the 2009 CACREP
Standards:
1
2
3
4
5
6
Knowledge/Skill Outcomes
CACREP
Common Core
Curricular Areas
Counselors’ roles and responsibilities as members of an
interdisciplinary emergency management response team
during a local, regional, or national crisis, disaster or
other trauma-causing event
Effects of crisis, disasters, and other trauma-causing
events on persons of all ages
Crisis intervention and suicide prevention models,
including the use of psychological first aid strategies
Understands the impact of crises, disasters, and other
trauma-causing events on people
1C
Quizzes
3C
Quizzes
Understands the operation of an emergency management
system within clinical mental health agencies and in the
community
Understands the principles of crisis intervention for
people during crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing
events
CSP 549 – Dr. Foss
CMHC Domains
(Section
III.CMHC.A-L)
Related
Assignments
5G
Quizzes
A9
Quizzes,
Personal
Reflection Paper
Quizzes
A10
C6
Quizzes
1
7
Understands appropriate use of diagnosis during a crisis,
disaster, or other trauma-causing event
K5
Quizzes
Required Texts:

James, R. K. (2008). Crisis intervention strategies (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. ISBN
0-495-10026-9. (Approximate cost: $81-used - $118 new).

Readings available electronically via eLearning VISTA on the SCSU website
PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS
Students are evaluated based upon the following:
Quizzes (30 points each)
There will be 3 quizzes consisting of various types of questions (true/false and multiple choice). Quizzes will be
based upon readings and class discussion. Quizzes may not be rescheduled.
Personal Reflection Paper (120 points)
Students will submit a two-three page, double-spaced paper. The paper will focus on a crisis that was most
challenging or difficult to learn about and/or a crisis the student anticipates will be challenging to cope with in future
clinical situations. The student should explain his/her personal reactions to the crisis and clearly present a plan for
coping with personal feelings, countertransference, or other issues as they may arise in the future. This plan should
include strategies for self-care related to clinical practice with the crisis described in the paper. The paper should be
written in first-person.
120 points possible
High Mastery
Up to 35
points
Personal reflection on a crisis is clearly evident, with insight into personal dynamics
Up to 35
Points
Plan for coping with personal feelings, countertransference, or other issues is
appropriate, insightful, and clearly explained, along with self-care strategies
Up to 30 points
Paper is clear, concise and thorough, with few spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors
Up to 20 points
Paper is at least two pages and no more than three pages in length
Crisis Interview Recording
On multiple occasions, students will have the opportunity to video-record a session demonstrating their crisis
counseling skills. The video-recordings will be peer-evaluated. Students are evaluated on two roles: as peer
reviewer/observer and as interviewer. As peer-reviewers/observers, students are required to provide meaningful
feedback using the attached peer feedback form. As interviewers, students are expected to make their best effort to
apply class-related clinical knowledge and crisis interview skills. Each peer feedback form will be evaluated by the
instructor. The instructor may also personally review the student video as appropriate.
Class Participation In Campus Classroom (120 points)
Active Participation:
Clinical Mental Health Counseling courses require active collaboration and participation of all students. This
includes completing all assigned readings, paperwork, and activities prior to class and arriving to class ready to
discuss issues relevant to the internship experience. Failure to actively participate will result in a lower grade as
determined by the instructor.
CSP 549 – Dr. Foss
2
Attendance:
Students may not miss more than one half of one class meeting.
Students should call ahead to the instructor in advance of any absences from class. If the student is absent for more
than one half of a class meeting and/or has multiple tardies, the instructor may give a grade of C or below or require
that the course be repeated. In some circumstances, the instructor reserves the right to deduct points from the final
grade for two or more absences from class and/or multiple tardies.
Class Participation On-line (120 points)
This course is a hybrid course. This means that a significant portion of meaningful work will be done on-line via
eLearning VISTA. Class participation in the online environment is evaluated based on the student’s demonstration
of knowledge, depth of personal reflection, and application of course-related skills. In the case of electronic threaded
postings, this means adhering to the assignment in all ways. Students must make the specified number of postings,
respond to classmate comments, revisit the site as instructed, and provide thoughtful comments of an appropriate
length.
EVALUATION:
CSP 595 Final Grade Calculations
Quiz #1
Quiz #2
Quiz #3
Personal Reflection Paper
Crisis interview video recording
Class Participation (in campus classroom)
Class Participation (online)
Total Possible Points
30
30
30
120
50
120
120
500
Grading Scale
100-95%
94-90%
89-85%
85-80%
79-75%
74-70%
A
AB+
B
BC
SCSU Disability Resources
I believe in providing reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities on an individualized
and flexible basis. If you are a student with a documented disability, the university’s Disability Resource Center
(DRC) determines appropriate accommodations through consultation with the student. Before you may receive
accommodations in this class, you will need to make an appointment with the Disability Resource Center, located in
EN C-105A. To speak with me about other concerns, such as medical emergencies or arrangements in case the
building must be evacuated, please make an appointment as soon as possible. My office location and hours is listed
above.
Academic Honesty Statement
The structure of academic and social life at the University and within the Department is built and maintained on
individual academic and personal honesty. The Department and University are committed uncompromisingly to
sustaining and perpetuating academic honesty. Individuals who violate academic honesty are subject to a failing
grade and/or dismissal from the program.
According to the University, behaviors that may be considered in violation of academic honesty include the
following:
1. Use of any form of illicit aids during exams;
2. Giving or receiving aid during exams;
3. Copying from another student’s examination, term paper, laboratory report, etc.;
4. Falsification of work or records;
5. Theft of course materials by any means;
6. Plagiarism, which refers to failing to give credit whenever you use the following:
· Another person's idea, opinion, or theory;
· Any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings--any pieces of information--that are not common knowledge;
· Quotations of another person's actual spoken or written words; or
· Paraphrase of another person's spoken or written words.
CSP 549 – Dr. Foss
3
References
Agar, K. & Read, J. (2002). What happens when people disclose sexual or physical abuse to staff at a community mental health
centre? International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 11, 70-79.
Brown, G. K., Henriques, G. R., Sosjdan, D., & Beck, A. R. (2004). Suicide intent and accurate expectations of lethality:
Predictors of medical lethality of suicide attempts. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72(6), 1170-1174.
Cavaiola, A. A., & Colford, J. E. (2006). A practical guide to crisis intervention. Lahaska Press: Boston, MA.
Dass-Brailsford, P. (Ed)., (2010). Crisis and disaster counseling: Lessons learned from hurricane Katrina and other disasters.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Gist, R., & Lubin, B. (Eds.). (1989). Psychological aspects of disaster. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Greenstone, J. & Leviton, S. (2002). Elements of crisis intervention: Crises and how to respond to them. Pacific Grove, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
Haggard-Grann, U. (2007). Assessing violence risk: A review and clinical recommendations. Journal of Counseling and
Development, 85, 294-301.
Hunter, S. V. (2006). Understanding the complexity of child sexual abuse: A review of the literature with implications for family
counseling. The Family Journal 14(4), 349-358.
IPRC. (2001). Workplace violence: A report to the nation. Available online at www.public-health.uiowa.edu/iprc/NATION.PDF
Kanel, K. (2003). A guide to crisis intervention. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Kleespies, P. M., & Dettmer, E. L. (2000). An evidence-based approach to evaluating and managing suicidal emergencies.
Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56(9), 1109-1130.
McAdams, C. R., & Keener, H. J. (2008). Preparation, action, recovery: A conceptual framework for counselor preparation and
response in client crisis. Journal of Counseling and Development, 86, 388-398.
Myer, R. (2001). Assessment for crisis interventions: A triage assessment model. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
NIOSH. (1999). Stress at work. Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/atwork.html
NIOSH. (2002). Violence: Occupational hazards in hospitals. Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/2002101.html#ordering
OSHA. (2004). Guidelines for preventing workplace violence for health care and social service workers. Available online at
http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3148/osha3148.html
McCloskey, K., & Grigsby, N. (2005). The ubiquitous clinical problem of adult intimate partner violence: The need for routine
assessment. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 36(3), 264-275.
Myer, R. A., & Moore, H. B. (2006). Crisis in context theory: An ecological model. Journal of Counseling and Development,
84(2).
Roberts, A. (2005). Crisis intervention handbook, assessment, treatment, and research (3rd ed.). New York, Oxford University
Press.
Sandoval, J., Scott, A. N., & Padilla, I. (2009). Crisis counseling: An overview. Psychology in the Schools 46(3), 246-256.
Schiefelbein, V. L. (2002). Rape and sexual assault. In S. J. Sandoval (Ed)., Handbook of crisis counseling, intervention, and
prevention in the schools (2nd ed.), pp. 359-392. Mahwah, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Torrey, E. F., & Zdanowicz, M. (2001). Outpatient commitment: What, why, and for whom. Psychiatric Services, 52(3), 337341.
Young, A. T., Fuller, J., & Riley, B. (2008). Elder abuse and neglect: Causes and consequences. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry,
30(1), 153-174.
Young, A. T., Fuller, J., & Riley, B. (2008). On-scene mental health counseling provided through police departments. Journal of
Mental Health Counseling, 30(4), 345-361.
Recommended Websites
American Counseling Association - http://www.counseling.org/
Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) – Click on: 1) Licensing and Certification, 2) Health Care Practitioners, 3)
Counselor Licensure - Professional
Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs - http://www.counseling.org/CACREP/main.htm
Counseling Resources on the Internet - http://www.csun.edu/~hfedp001/links.html
National Board for Certified Counseling - http://www.nbcc.org
National Institute of Mental Health- www.nimh.nih.gov/
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - http://www.nami.org/
Red Cross – Disaster Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - http://www.samhsa.gov/
CSP 549 – Dr. Foss
4
CSP 549 Issues in Crisis Intervention
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
(This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.)
Session
1
Date
Topics
 Introductions, orientation to the
course and syllabus review
 Intro to crisis intervention: history,
theories, and models
 Culturally-aware crisis
intervention approaches

Basic crisis intervention
skills and crisis case handling

2



3



4



PostClass
Tasks


CSP 549 – Dr. Foss
Readings
James, chpt. 1, 2, 3, 4
Assignments
(in class peer-reviewed
interview practice)
Disaster response: guest
speaker Dave Denino 8:30, Red
Cross
Posttraumatic stress
disorder and diagnosis in crisis
situations
Lethality: suicide and
homicide
James chpt. 6, 7, 16
Quiz #1 (chpts. 1-4)
(in-class peer-reviewed
interview practice)
Bereavement and grief:
guest speaker Michelle Lawler
1:00, SCSU Counseling Services
Sexual assault
James, chpt. 8, 11
Quiz #2 (chpts. 6, 7, 26)
(in-class peer-reviewed
interview practice)
Partner violence
Child and elder abuse and
neglect
Compassion fatigue, vicarious
traumatization, and self-care
Course wrap-up
Course evaluation
James chpt. 9, 15
Cavaiola & Colford, 2006,
chpt. 3
Quiz #3 (chpts. 8, 11)
Online threaded discussion
postings due by 5:00pm on
6/16/10 (minimum two visits):
more details to be provided in
class
Submission of personal reflection
paper due on 6/18/10
5
Southern Connecticut State University
Department of Counseling and School Psychology
CSP 549 – Crisis Counseling Sessions Rating Short Form
Counselor Trainee’s Name:_________________________________________ Date:_______________________
Source: ___Audio Recording ___Video Recording ___DVD ___Direct Observation ___Other (specify)_______
1.
2.
3.
Please check either yes (Y), no (N) or not applicable (NA) in front of the skill/competency you are observing.
Rate skill/competency on a scale of 3 to 1 (3 is excellent and 1 is poor).
Write brief comments on the skill/competency you are observing.
Skill/Competency
Yes
No
NA
Rate 3-----1
Notes
Entry Behavior/
Structuring
Silence
Ensure client safety
Provide support
Examine alternatives
Make plans
Obtain commitment
Closure
Areas for Growth (identify at least two areas):
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Areas of Strength (identify at least two areas):
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Rater’s Name:__________________________________________ Date:___________________
Updated 6-24-10
CSP 549 – Dr. Foss
6