SUBJECT

Crisis Counselling

practical

master

Faculty of Education and Psychology

4

Semester 2

Spring semester

Aim of the course:

The aim is to provide a basic understanding of crisis intervention concepts. An important task is to position the crisis intervention activities in the map of psychological activities and competences.

The basic training possibilities and career pathways of crisis intervention professionals are also introduced.

The course will focus on the special crisis intervention fields and techniques.

Crises that develops on the base of special psychopatological background such as borderline, depressive crises and crises that arise from addictive disorders and addictive families are in the focus of the course.

The special areas of crisis intervention are covered through case examples and studies.

Special intervention fields like psychosis prevention and suicide prevention are to be examined both from the intervention and diagnosis aspects.

Learning outcome, competences

knowledge:

• Students can place the activities related to crisis counselling, intervention and aftercare into the systems of professional psychological activities
• Students know about the historical background of crisis intervention
• They know the institutions and networks of crisis related services

attitude:

• They can understand and examine the aims and contexts of crisis intervention, can recognise the situations where crisis intervention can take place
• They can use crisis intervention concepts in professional and scientific communication
• He can understand the importance of continouous improvement in the field of crisis intervention
• He understands and respects the cultural aspects of crisis intervention

skills:

• Students can assess the situations and needs when crisis intervenction services can be appropriate
• They can set up the settings and framework of crisis intervention activities
• They can conduct a psychological/mental health first aid type interview
• They can present crisis intervention issues in supervision teams

Content of the course

Topics of the course

• The basic concepts of crisis intervention
• Special focus on the family crises
• Humanitarian catastrophes and crisis intervention possibilities
• Crisis intervention and psychopathology
• Crisis intervention setting and institutional frameworks
• Emergency interventions and psychological first aid
• PTSD and PTSD treatment
• Aftercare – counselling and psychological services for trauma survivors
• Psychosis prevention
• Suicide prevention

Learning activities, learning methods

Evaluation of outcomes

Learning requirements, mode of evaluation, criteria of evaluation:

• The participation in the classes is compulsory because of the close skill learning-feedback context. Through the semester the students are provided with case studies where they can practice the development and planning of crisis intervention processes.
• At the end of the semester, a test is written by the students with two profiles: one is measuring of the understanding of basic crisis counselling concepts, the other part is measuring the ability of assessing and compiling an intervention plan upon the analysis of a case example.
• The two profiles will bright about one grade (five levels ECTS, from Failed to A+).

Compulsory reading list

James, R., K. Gilliland, B., E. (2012) Crisis intervention strategies. Belmont: Brooks Cole. ISBN-13: 978-1111186777

Yeager, K., Roberts A. (2015) Crisis intervention handbook. Assessment, treatment and research. London: Oxford University Press. ISBN-13: 978-0190201050

Recommended reading list

Aguilera, D., C. (1998) Crisis Intervention: Theory and Methodology. New York: Mosby. ISBN-13: 978-0815126041.

Nock, M., K. (2014) The Oxford Handbook of Suicide and Self-Injury. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN-13: 978-0195388565