This instructional manual takes a developmental approach toward understanding the psychological, social and behavioral dynamics of human crisis. The manual describes the behavior patterns characterizing various psychological and physical crises, and provides background information and methods of crisis intervention with which to manage each. In…

Mental health workers are critically examining modes of service delivery. Crisis intervention offers a way to apply to mental health problems some concepts of primary prevention that have been successful in the public health field. (Author)

A controlled experiment using students ranked in lower 40 percent of their secondary school graduating class showed that the use of the crisis intervention technique was effective in reducing numbers of dropouts and in improving the academic performance of the experimental group. Case studies are presented and the results of a follow-up study are…

This article introduces three papers on life space interviewing, by reviewing the history of the method as originated in Fritz Redl's "When We Deal with Children" (1966). The fundamentals of the technique's therapeutic applications for children with behavioral disorders, initial reactions to the technique, and ongoing debate are…

This paper reviews literature-based techniques of intervention with posttraumatic stress disorder in children, including such techniques as crisis intervention, in vitro flooding, communication training, physical mastery, perspective taking, elimination of self-blame, and self-calming. (JDD)

Models of telephone crisis intervention in suicide prevention and best practices were developed from a literature review and surveys of crisis centers. We monitored 2,611 calls to 14 centers using reliable behavioral ratings to compare actual interventions with the models. Active listening and collaborative problem-solving models describe help…

This paper discusses the role of the free clinic in helping youth. It examines the activities of the Health Emergency Aid Dispensary (HEAD) in New Orleans, a free clinic that: (1) performs pregnancy tests; syphillis and gonorrhea tests, urinalysis for kidney ailments, PAP smears; (2) prescribes birth control; and provides rapid consultation of a…

Dormitory residents were trained in first aid procedures, and assigned to lecture-only, lecture plus modeling and rehearsal, or no-lecture groups. As predicted, lecture plus modeling and rehearsal group was superior to the lecture-only, which was superior to the no-lecture group. (NG)

Family network intervention is a therapeutic approach aiming to mobilize family and friendship support systems in a collaborative effort to solve a crisis. A team of therapists helps the family and its extended social system become involved in a networking process consisting of six distinct phases. (Author)

This article describes one approach to providing helping services for individuals with drug related problems. The development of the organization, services offered, and community outreach programs are discussed, as well as the training, supervision, and consultation provided by trained professionals to laymen which enables the agency to function…

Argues that the family crisis that ineviably follows the adoptive placement of an older child can be surmounted if the social worker applies techniques based on crisis theory and family systems theory. (MS)

A data-based crisis support program at a special school for severely emotionally disturbed children provides on-the-spot intervention for students with behavioral difficulties, records data about the incident, and provides monthly summary data reports on program use. One month's data report is used to illustrate program structure and data…

The prevention, prediction, and management of crises with students having emotional/behavioral problems is addressed. Three phases of crisis management are identified: precrisis, during the crisis, and postcrisis. Techniques to reduce the frequency of behavioral crises and effective interventions are suggested. (DB)

"Lessons Learned" is a series of publications that are a brief recounting of actual school emergencies and crises. This "Lessons Learned" issue addresses the experience of a school district where three middle school students hung themselves within a three-week timeframe. Although deaths were apparently unconnected, the school district is part of a…