UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR
GRADUATE COURSE SYLLABUS
PSCO6330 TRAUMA AND CRISIS COUNSELING
COURSE DESCRIPTION
6330. Trauma and Crisis Counseling. Three (3) semester hours. This course is designed to
prepare students to respond effectively in critical situations and to help counsel clients who are
experiencing crisis events in their lives. Students will learn that crisis interventions are founded
on theory and will be able to apply theory to crisis intervention techniques. Special attention will
be paid to counseling approaches for use with circumstantial and developmental life crises in the
community.
GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION
This course serves as one of the helping relationship courses in the Clinical Mental Health
Counseling Program.
COURSE OBJECTIVES include, but are not limited to, the following
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Students will demonstrate a working knowledge of the crisis counselors’ roles
responsibilities and functions of a crisis counselor as a member of an
interdisciplinary emergency management response team during a local, regional,
or national crisis, disaster or other trauma-causing event. (2009 CACREP PI
G.1.c; CMHC A.3).
Students will be able to discuss the professional credentialing process for crisis
counselors. (2009 CACREP PI G.1.g).
Students will be able to evaluate the principles and effects of crises, disasters, and
other trauma-causing events on persons of all ages including but not limited to
types of crisis, community resilience, and the environmental factors that affect
both normal and abnormal behavior during crisis. (2009 CACREP PI G.3.c, d., e;
CMHC A.9, C.6,).
Students will be able to demonstrate basic interviewing skills and assessment
processes used with traumatized individuals including but not limited to suicidal,
homicidal, or other potentially harmful reactions to crisis. (2009 CACREP PI G.
5.c; CMHC D.6).
Students will be able to describe crisis intervention and suicide prevention
models, including the use of psychological first aid strategies. (2009 CACREP PI
G.5.g).
Students will be able to create a emergency management system within a clinical
mental health agency or other community based facility. (2009 CACREP CMHC
A.10).
Students be able to differentiate between diagnosis and developmentally
appropriate reactions during crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events
(2009 CACREP CMHC L.3).
Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of diagnosis during a crisis,
9.
10.
11.
disaster, or other trauma-causing event (2009 CACREP CMHC K.5).
Students will develop appropriate strategies for self-care when working in crisis
situations. (2009 CACREP PI. G.1.d).
Students will demonstrate knowledge of the history of crisis intervention to
include the importance of volunteerism and the social movement behind crisis
intervention.
Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the factors associated with
trauma response to include psychosocial, physical, cognitive, affective, and
behavioral responses.
TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE OUTLINE
Part One – Basic Training: Crisis Intervention Theory and Applications
Approaching Crisis Intervention
*Counselor Role as a Member of Interdisciplinary Emergency Management
Response Team
*Diagnosis During a Trauma Causing Event
Basic Crisis Intervention Skills
Crisis Case Handling
Telephone and Online Crisis Counseling
Part 2 – Handling Specific Crises: Going Into the Trenches
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Crisis Lethality
Sexual Assault
Partner Violence
Personal Loss: Bereavement and Grief
Part 3 – One the Home Front: Crisis in the Human Services Workplace
Violent Behavior in Institutions
Crisis/Hostage Negotiation
Human Services Workers in Crisis: Burnout, Vicarious Traumatization, and Compassion
Fatigue
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
This course is both a theoretical and application course. Instructional methods will include, but
are not necessarily limited to lecture, power point presentations, role-play, case analysis, site
visitations, and videos.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
All requirements will be measured using either an examination or a grading rubric designed for
that particular requirement.
1. Two Exams (100 points each) (40% of total grade) - two exams will be given
according to the calendar. Material covered in the exams will come from class lectures,
textbook, and other readings. Exams will include multiple choice, short answer,
vocabulary, and/or case study. The examinations are designed to measure Objectives 1,
2, 3, 7, 8, and 9.
2. Project (100 points each ) (40% of total grade) – Preapproval of topic required
A.
Class Presentation: Oral presentation length: 30-45 minutes.
- You are the Director over a specific area of crisis counseling/trauma in your
community. You will describe your area of expertise, including the effect this
type of tragedy may have on your community; resources available to you and/or
that you will develop; and methods for handling the event.
B.
Paper : You will submit an APA paper between 8- 10 pages in length excluding
references. Use a minimum of 6 professional resources.
The project is designed to measure Objectives 1, 3, 6, and 10.
3.
Notebook (100 points) (10% of total grade) – You will collect weekly newspaper,
magazine, or media articles dealing with crisis and trauma. Bring your articles to class
each week with notes on the issues related to the crisis and how you might handle the
situation. This information will be utilized in class discussion and a way of measuring
Objectives 3, 9, and 10.
4.
Role plays (100 points) (10% of total grade) – You will demonstrate basic interviewing
skills as related to Objective 4.
All students are responsible for adhering to the professional performance standards as stated in
the Graduate Counseling & Psychology Student Handbook through the Graduate Counseling
and Psychology website at http://www.umhb.edu/files/graduate/psychology/ppe. Failure to
meet the standards supersedes the student’s academic grade performance and will result in a
grade of F for the course.
See UMHB Graduate Catalog for students with special needs and expectations and ethics.
ATTENDANCE
“Students are expected to attend all classes regularly and are held responsible for all
course work and assignments” (University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Graduate Catalog,
p. 30).
TEXTS
James, R. K. (2008). Crisis Intervention Strategies. Thomson: Belmont: CA. ISBN
978-0-495-10026-3
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alessi, H. D. & Ballard, M. B. (2001). Memory development in children: Implications for
children as witnesses in situations of possible abuse. Journal of Counseling and
Development, 79, 398-404.
Aspy, C. B., Oman, R. F., Vesely, S. K., McLeroy, K., Rodine, S, & Marchall, L. (2004).
Adolescent violence: The protective effects of youth assets. Journal of Counseling and
Development, 82, 268-276.
Asner-Self, K. K. & Marotta, S. A. (2005). Developmental indices among Central American
immigrants: Clinical implications for counselors. Journal of Counseling and
Development, 83, 162-171.
Colti, b. G. & Collings, T. M. (2004). Crisis and trauma: Developmental-Ecologicalical
Intervention.
Echterling, L.G., Presbury, J. H.. and McKee, J. E. (2005). Crisis Intervention:
Promoting resilience and resolution in troubled times. Upper Saddle: Pearson
Feather, J. S. & Ronan, K. R. (2006). Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for abused
children with posttraumatic stress disorder: A pilot study. New Zealand Journal of
Psychology, 35(3), 132-145.
Ginter, E. J. (2004). JCD’s special section on school violence: Reactions and thoughts of a
counselor. Journal of Counseling and Development, 82, 310-312.
Hage, S. M. (2006). Profiles of women survivors: The development of agency in abusive
relationships. Journal of Counseling and Development, 84, 83-94.
Hartley, L. (2006). Aftershocks of stress, crisis and trauma. (Kindle Book)
King, N. J., Heyne, D., Tonge, B., J., Mullen, P., Myerson, N., Rollings, S., & Ollendick, T., H.
(2003). Sexually abused children suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder:
Assessment and treatment strategies. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, 32(1), 2-12.
Maples, M. F., Packman, J., Abney, P., Daugherty, R. F., Casey, J. A., & Pirtle, L. (2005).
Suicide by teenagers in middle school: A postvention team approach. Journal of
Counseling and Development, 83, 397-405.
Mejia, X. E. (2005). Gender matters: Working with adult male survivors of trauma. Journal of
Counseling and Development, 83, 29-40.
Moretti, M. M., Obsuth, I., Odgers, C. L., & Reebye, P. (2006). Exposure to maternal vs.
paternal partner violence, PTSD and aggression in adolescent girls and boys. Aggressive
Behavior, 32, 385-395.
Myer, R. A. (2001). Assessment for crisis intervention: A triage assessment model.
Belmont: Brooks/Cole.
Saakvitne, K. W. (200). Shared trauma: The therapist’s increased vulnerability. Psychoanalytic
Dialogues, 12(3), 443-449.
Trippany, R. L., Helm, H. M. & Simpson, L. (2006). Trauma reenactment: Rethinking borderline
personality disorder when diagnosing sexual abuse survivors. Journal of Mental Health
Counseling, 28(2), 95-110.
Trippany, R. L., White Kress, V. E. & Wilcoxon, S. A. (2004). Preventing vicarious trauma:
What counselors should know when working with trauma survivors. Journal of
Counseling and Development, 82, 31-37.
Wright, H. N. (2003). The new guide to crisis & trauma counseling.
SELECTED WEBSITES
American Counseling Association
http://www.counseling.org
American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/
Bell Country LEPC: Local Emergency Planning Committee
http://www.bellcountylepc.org
Bell Country Public Health District
http://www.bellcounttyhealth.org
Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.hhs.gov
Department of Veteran Affairs
http://va.gov/directory
Federal Emergency Management Association
http://www.fema.gov/
International Critical Incidence Stress Foundation, Inc.
http://icis.org
National Board for Certified Counselors Disaster Relief Resources
http://www.nbcc.org/resouces
National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
http://www.ncptsd.va.gov
National Institute of Mental Health
http://www.nimh.gov
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
Texas Department of State Health Services
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us
Texas EDEN: Extension Disaster Education Network
http:// texashelp.tamu.edu/
United Nations Children’s Fund
http://www.unicef.org
U.S. Department of Justice: Office for Victims of Crime
http://www.oip.usdoj.gov/ovc
PROFESSOR AND OFFICE HOURS
Cynthia Brown Ph.D
Adjunct Professor Counseling/Psychology
Tele: cell 254 718-1557
Email: cmbrown0218@gmail.com please use this email for contact)
Office Hours: by appointment