Care provided to victims Essay Example for Free

Care provided to victims Essay Crisis intervention is care provided to victims of a crisis to help them adapt to the new challenges facing them. It is an urgent action taken to assist people overcome trauma resulting from a crisis. A crisis results from disruption of life, as we are accustomed. These disruptions present huge challenges to victims. In response they exhibit different characteristics. While change is constant in society, it presents challenges some of which resolve themselves out and others that require professional help. A crisis intervention center takes care of those who, when faced by these challenges, become disoriented and unstable. (Aguilera, Donna, C, 1998) The crisis facing Danville residents include anxiety, suicidal thoughts and trauma from domestic violence and crime. These problems are precipitated by rampant unemployment due to closure of some firms. The crisis intervention center will assist the community to overcome these challenges. It will have three main objections namely containing the spread of the crisis, controlling the resultant trauma of the crisis and try as much to help the residents adjust to the new challenges. To meet the needs of the residents better the center will be located in poor neighborhoods where the majority of these problems occur. It will operate round the clock in order to offer timely services whenever needed. The center will act promptly when our client is in need. We will take under our care victims of domestic violence or crime and counsel them to overcome their traumatic experience. We will assist to heal the emotional wounds acquired from their experiences. The main aim here will be to stop our clients from taking drastic actions with very negative consequences. Victims of violent acts are most vulnerable immediately after the horrific experience. They cannot think clearly and might take fatal measures. We will reassure encourage them to be more positive. At the crisis intervention center, we will offer residents advice on how to avoid the occurrence of such a problem in the first place. We will identify groups in society that are predisposed to domestic violence, eviction harassment and crime and try to lead them from such activities. We will encourage the vulnerable individuals to take action to avoid such problems when still early rather than wait till its too late The center will also provide clients continued counseling through the recovery period. Our aim is to as much as possible return the clients to the state they were in before the crisis occurred. We will offer them an opportunity to speak out confidentially about their experiences, and their feelings or reactions to the experience. We listen to their problems keenly and offer advice that would help them come to terms with the whole experience. We will organize support groups among the clients so that they can share and reinforce each other. We will also help the victims to move on after their traumatic experience. We will carry out follow up services to ensure full recovery. We will assist them to rebuild their lives providing the necessary encouragement and advice. We will help them to come up with workable solutions that would help them make necessary adjustments in life. We will not force decisions on them rather we will provide an enabling environment. Together we will develop solutions that stop the reoccurrence of the same problem. We will present the victims with the various options facing them and the consequences of each decision. This way they make informed choices. (Flannery, Raymond, et al,2000) Most of the residents who will come to our center will have other problems that are beyond our services. Such cases will be referred to the relevant institutions. Clients with physical injuries will be treated at the local hospital as we offer our services alongside. Those with mental instabilities will be referred to the mental health center for psychiatric help. Those with drug addictions will be referred to agencies that offer detoxification services such as the local Alcohol Anonymous for alcoholics. The center will coordinate with these agencies to provide an all round service. The center will rely on both professional staff and volunteers. Volunteers will be highly welcome due to cost constraints. We will encourage the local community especially past beneficiaries of the center to volunteer. Those who have been through the center will be more willing and optimistic to replicate their recovery on other members of society. We will also appeal to the Danville community to make donations to the center. The community should identify with the center and work for its success. In selecting staff, the center will look for individuals who are open minded and non-judgmental. These should be individuals who believe in the ability of others to change. They must enjoy working with people without any biases along class or race. They must be empathetic to the client’s predicament and possess a never give up attitude. For the professional staff, they need to have academic and professional qualifications from recognizable institutions. They should also be registered with the relevant professional bodies. Reporting skills and some legal knowledge will also be of much relevant. The center will regularly train its staff together with the volunteers. The training will focus on building counseling abilities and skills. We will train them on how to build and maintain client’s trust. Counseling can only take place in if there is enough trust and confidentiality. We also train them how to assist a client to open up listening keenly, non-judgmental attitude, and by softly prodding them. They should also keep reassuring the client. (mentalhealth. samhsa. gov) Offering counseling service is very strenuous and energy sapping work. It can also be very frustrating and heart breaking. Staff members become exhausted and loose motivation. They will face constant pressure as they try to solve clients’ problems. They put in long hours and this hurts their ability to play their other roles in life. Some of the patients may turn abusive while others may keep to their old ways no matter how had the social worker tries. The workers may feel that their effort and sacrifice is not fully appreciated or recognized. All these factors cause burnout. Burnout is a state frustration, loss of hope and a sense of failure. They feel that they cannot take it anymore and will have to quit. The center will put in place measures for the workers avoid or cope with the burnout. It will provide a mentorship program for the staff. The workers will be encouraged to form groups that provide a forum to share experiences and frustrations. We will also encourage them to eat well and engage in leisure activities. The management will also advise them to set their boundaries with their clients. The management will also improve on the work environment while showing appreciation for work well done. (Penson, Richard, T, et al, 2000) References National Mental Health Information Center. Training Manual for Mental Health and Human Services Worker in Major Disasters. Retrieved on18/10/07 from http://mentalhealth. samhsa. gov/publications/allpubs/ADM90-538/tmsection7. asp Flannery, Raymond, B. and Everly, George, S, 2000. Crisis Intervention: A Review. Continuing Education. Retrieved on 10/18/07 from http://www. icisf. org/articles/Acrobat%20Documents/TerrorismIncident/CrsIntRev. pdf Richard T. Penson, Fiona L. Dignan, George P. Canellos, Carol L. Picard, Thomas J. Lynch, Jr. 2000. Burnout: Caring for the Caregivers. The Oncologist, vol5. No5. Retrieved on 10/18/07 from http://theoncologist. alphamedpress. org/cgi/content/full/5/5/425 Aguilera, Donna C, 1998. Crisis Intervention: Theory and Methodology. New York: Mosby, 8ed