07 Jan Week 6 Discussion: Reflection on Crisis Preparedness
Crises occur when the necessities of a given situation are so great that they exceed or test the resources you have available to address them. Whether the resource is a factor of time, space, preparedness, staffing, or materials, crisis situations require you to be adaptable, responsive, knowledgeable, and decisive. These situations also call on you to temper immediacy with calm and humility. Reflect on how the program has informed and expanded your skillset in managing crisis situations. It is OK if you do not have all the answers; after all, the nature of a crisis is that it can be unexpected and unpredictable. You will have to face them without all the answers and an incomplete knowledge of all the details.
Warning: The events in the Discussion involve gun violence and suicide.
Consider this scenario:
You are now the advanced HSPP working in a local mental health agency. You supervise eight other HSPPs and you have been called in by the local police department to assist in an immediate crisis at Middletown High School. Knowing this situation could present danger or the aftermath of the situation could be traumatic, how would you respond? What are your first steps? How do you respond with humility and immediacy and communicate to your team?
Resources
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
To Prepare:
· Review the Learning Resources and Course Announcements.
· Review the scenario above and the one detailed in Crisis at Middletown High (Walden University, LLC. (2021). Crisis at Middletown High School [Video]. Walden University Blackboard. https://waldenu.instructure.com
· School. Note: The scenario depicts gun violence and suicide.
· Reflect on your comfort level in responding to a crisis and your comfort level when entering a high-risk intervention.
By Day 4
Explain how you would address the situation depicted in Crisis at Middletown High School during the next 24 hours. Assume you are the director and have a team of eight human services professional practitioners you supervise. Your plan should include:
· An explanation of how you would communicate to your team, the public service users, and their families. How would you report back to the agency and maintain a sense of calm during a crisis?
· A description of the resources you would need to access and how you would access them
· An explanation of how you would ensure your own personal safety and the safety of your team
