The 7 Steps of Crisis Intervention

As social workers we are always putting out fires. Sometimes they are even literal fires, LOL. All jokes aside, it's important to realize that social workers already know the steps to take in a crisis, even if you haven't studied the theories recently. Here is a refresher for you and please let me know an example you may have had following these stages:

Roberts is one of the founders of the crisis intervention model used by most clinicians today. Here are the steps defined:

1) ASSESS for safety/suicidality and provide a brief biopsychosocial assessment
2) Continue to develop RAPPORT by being empathetic and warm
3) IDENTIFY PROBLEM/what lead to crisis and what other problems are concerning them at that moment
4) Address FEELINGS and allow client to vent while validating and actively listening
5) Identify ways they will COPE with situation and how they have coped with difficulties in past
6) Create an ACTION PLAN with client, time to come to terms with crisis and attempt to resolve
7) FOLLOW-UP with client via phone, in-office counseling, etc..

Learn more about crisis intervention by clicking here! Find practice question about crisis intervention and a bunch more here.