Courses

Any direct service ministerial role will at some point usually involve helping people deal with life crises.  This course will equip pastors, lay leaders, and pastoral counsellors with basic level skills in crisis intervention with individuals, couples, families, and organizations.  General crisis intervention theory and principles will be reviewed along with approaches to specific situations such as acute depression with suicidal intention, violent and aggressive behaviour, psychotic decompensation, developmental crises, spiritual crises, catastrophic life events, and natural/technological disasters.   Satisfactory completion of the course should enable the student to formulate a concrete plan of assessment, intervention and follow-up, which is informed by current theory and research, for the most commonly encountered crisis situations, and have ready reference to resources and referrals for these topics.

Knowing

• To understand the goals, phases, and techniques of crisis intervention in general
• To understand the how these goals, phases, and techniques are adapted uniquely to specific:

1. 1. 1. types of crises, including suicide, violent or potentially violent incidents, developmental crises, and other adventitious crises, such as natural or man-made disasters
      2. types of populations, such as families, children, and adolescents

• To understand the symptoms and adaptations commonly experienced in response to trauma
• To understand the unique opportunity and dangers in providing crisis intervention in a pastoral role
• To understand the unique role of the church in providing early intervention during crises

Being

• To identify the life crises which we have survived, and the adaptations to these crises that have affected our lives
• To increase tolerance in hearing others’ pain and being open to the experience of one’s own pain.
• To increasingly practice empathic listening skills, effective responses, and appropriate support in all our relationships, especially when these have been affected by crisis and trauma

Doing

• To observe and identify helpful versus non helpful responses in crisis situations
• To develop skills in assessing, intervening, and follow-up in different types of crises, with different populations, and in different contexts
• To develop skills in identifying the need for and facilitating referrals for further psychological and medical help when necessary
• To identify resources within our communities to provide support, education, and further help for individuals in crisis
• To develop an action plan for facilitating early intervention in crises and/or providing crisis intervention resources within our ministry context or community