Preserving and Stabilizing Placements Utilizing Crisis Intervention Strategies

Level: Advanced Practice – Lineworker

Credits: 6

Intended Audience: Child welfare services workers, foster parents and kinship care providers, and paraprofessionals involved with children and youth in out-of-home placements

Intended Objectives:

• To develop skills to assist clients and caregivers who are experiencing crisis in a placement situation.
• To work towards stabilization and avoidance of harmful breakdowns in relationships resulting in placement failures.

Topics Include:

• Identifying crisis elements, cycle, stages and effective crisis intervention strategies.
  7 stages of crisis adjustment.
• Crisis intervention strategies and the mental health status of the child.
• Dealing with potentially dangerous crisis situations.
• When to intervene with crisis intervention and when to move the child.
• Self-assessment and personal qualities for managing crises.

CalSWEC Competencies Addressed:

2.1 Student is able to identify multiple factors of social and family dynamics in relation to child abuse and neglect.

2.8 Student understands the dynamics of family violence, and can develop appropriate culturally sensitive case plans for families and family members to address these problems.

2.14 & 6.6 Student understands the importance of working collaboratively with biological families, foster families, and kin networks, and understands the need to involve them in assessment and planning and supporting them in coping with special stresses and difficulties.

4.8 Student is aware of organizational risk management issues and is able to appropriately resolve situations that might prove harmful to themselves or others.

7.2 Student recognizes the potential for violence, suicide, and other potential harmful behaviors.

7.5 Student demonstrates understanding of the dynamics of trauma resulting from family conflict, divorce, and family violence.