Crisis Intervention
Immediate crisis intervention at the site of the incident (N.A. during Covid-19 outbreak) or online.
- Crisis intervention available in the Helderberg area, Somerset West, Strand, Gordons Bay and Stellenbosch.
- Also available after-hours if schedule permits.
Some EXAMPLES of behaviour showing a person is in need of crisis intervention:
- Suicide attempts, statements, plans and notes.
- Aggressive, irritable or irrational behaviour quickly becoming worse. Onlookers may describe the behaviour as weird and find it very upsetting.
- Anxiety spiraling out of control. For instance, getting rapidly worse or experiencing physical symptoms. Examples of these may include, rapid breathing, fast heart rate, difficulty breathing.
- Additionally the person may become more difficult to cope with.
Parents with adolescents in crisis
- Do you have a teenager in crisis, but you do not have the capacity to deal with him/ her?
- Do you have to attend to, and protect the other siblings?
- Are you concerned that you lose objectivity because of your personal involvement?
- Does your involvement just worsen the situation?
- Do you lack the necessary knowledge to deal with the situation effectively?
Crisis intervention Services (will need to be adapted due to Covid-19)
- On-site assistance where possible. Otherwise telephonic assistance will be available.
- Assessment of the situation.
- On-site containment for all involved. In other words, ensuring physical and emotional safety as far as possible.
- Providing the teen and/or parents with coping behaviour. Alternatively or additionally, referral to immediate emergency medical care.
- Feedback to the doctor or specialist as soon as possible.
Advantages of crisis intervention (may be limited because of current modality of service-online-due to Covid-19)
- You might avoid a trip after-hours to the emergency room. As well as the associated expenses.
- It relieves the pressure from you as parent. Most noteworthy, to be the only decision-maker on the desired course of action.
- You don't need to deal directly with the adolescent in crisis.
- It enables you as parent to focus on, support and comfort the siblings.
- You can tap into your own reserves to face the next challenge.
- You can tend to practical arrangements. For example, contacting family members, arranging medical aid, scheduling appointments with doctors etc.
