Course Summary :

A general overview and analysis of the theoretical concepts of crisis response, critical incidents, and grief and will cover intervention models, the effects of critical incident stress. The course will cover the historical background of the discipline and the scope of crisis response.

Rationale :

Over 80% of Americans will be exposed to a traumatic event and experience significant distress due to a crisis or critical incident. A crisis typically involves a temporary loss of coping skills and causes significant impairment in nearly half of those exposed. Personal crises, such as the death of a family member or loss of a job, impact the ability to function in everyday life and affect relationships with spouses, family, co-workers, friends, and church members.

Crisis response and crisis counseling are designed to help individuals cope with the stress or event experienced and to mitigate the threat of posttraumatic stress, critical incident, stress, and personal crises to the individual. This course provides the information needed to develop a foundational understanding of crises and crisis responding in order to help individuals return to prior levels of functioning.

Measurable Learning Outcomes :

1. 1. Articulate a theoretical understanding of what constitutes a crisis and the critical incident stress that ensues.
   2. Examine and discuss the phases of a crisis and be able to implement an effective process of crisis intervention.
   3. Explain the various types of crises and their unique effects on an individual’s body, mind, emotions, and spiritual state.
   4. Explain and differentiate between critical incident stress management and long-term crisis counseling.
   5. Explain and discuss specific issues related to crises, including helping a suicidal person, children, and adolescents.
   6. Examine, discuss, and integrate all issues, theories, assumptions, materials, etc., presented in the course through the lens of Scripture.

Course Assignment :

Textbook readings and lecture presentations :

Course Requirements Checklist :

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4) :

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences,

• Therefore, the student will submit a thread in response to each of the 4 case studies posed by the instructor.
• In addition, the student will submit a reply to the thread of at least 1 classmate.
• Each thread must be at least 400 words, and each reply must be at least 200 words.
• Each thread must include at least 1 peer-reviewed source from outside the course as well as biblical integration, and each reply must include at least 1-course textbook or biblical citation.
• All outside citations must be from sources published within the past 10 years, and citations must be in the current APA format. (MLOs A, B, D, F)

Quiz: Research Paper Topic :

The student will build a 2000–2500-word research paper in the current APA format. Over the duration of the course, the student will select a topic; create a title page and outline of the paper; and, finally, submit his or her final research paper.

The student will choose a specific type of crisis or trauma topic to write about for the research paper. The student must submit his or her topic selection for instructor approval. If the topic does not receive instructor approval, it will not be eligible for use in the research paper.  (MLOs A, B, C, D, E, F)

Research Paper: Title Page, Outline, and References Assignment :

The student will complete interactive exercises to master creating a title page, outline, and reference page in the current APA format. The outline must be 60–100 words and include at least 3 references the student plans to use. The references must be listed in a reference section in the current APA format. The outline must include the Level 1, Level 2, and, if necessary, Level 3 headings the student will use in setting up his or her Research Paper: Final Assignment. (MLOs A, B, C, D, E, F)

Research Paper: Final Assignment :

Utilizing information presented in this course, as well as theoretical and practical elements from academic and Christian sources, the student will compile an original research paper of 2000–2500 words of the body text in the current APA format. The research paper must include an APA title and reference page and include at least 12 scholarly sources in addition to the textbook and biblical integration. The body of the paper will be broken into 2 primary sections: (1) a summary of the student’s understanding of the nature and causes of trauma and (2) detailed nature, effects, and crisis response strategy for immediate intervention for the specific type of trauma chosen. (MLOs A, B, C, D, E, F)

Current Events Paper Assignment :

The student will follow the weekly news for the first weeks of this course looking for a situation they would hypothetically respond to as a crisis interventionist. The student will complete a 750–1000-word review of the incident that includes 4 primary sections: (1) explore the nature of the crisis presented, (2) suggest steps for alleviating the crisis, (3) teach coping skills, and (4) help the victim(s) develop resiliency. This assignment must be in the current APA format and must include at least 1 citation from the textbook and at least 1 citation from an outside source. The paper must also include a title page and reference page in the current APA format. (MLOs A, B, C, E)

Overall Quizzes (3) :

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module: week. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes. Quiz: Overview of Crisis Intervention and Quiz: Techniques and Ethics of Crisis Intervention contain 20 multiple-choice and true/false questions and have a time limit of 40 minutes. Quiz: Crisis Intervention of Suicide contains 15 multiple-choice and true/false questions and 1 essay question and has a time limit of 1 hour. (MLOs A, B, C, D, E, F)