Learning Resources

Required Readings

Course Overview (located in the course navigation menu)
James, R. K., & Gilliland, B. E. (2017). Crisis intervention strategies (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Chapter 1, “Approaching Crisis Intervention” (pp. 3–26)
Bauwens, J., & Naturale, A. (2017). The role of social work in the aftermath of disasters and traumatic events. Clinical Social Work Journal, 45(2), 99–101.
Boscarino, J. A. (2015). Community disasters, psychological trauma, and crisis intervention. International journal of emergency mental health, 17(1), 369-371. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4429300/
McAdams, C. R., & Keener, H. J. (2008). Preparation, action, recovery: A conceptual framework for counselor preparation and response to client crises. Journal of Counseling & Development, 86(4), 388–398.
Everly, G. S., Jr., & Lating, J. M. (2004). The defining moment of psychological trauma: What makes a traumatic event traumatic? In G. S. Everly Jr., & J. M. Lating (Eds.), Personality-guided therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (pp. 33–51). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Chapter 3, “The Defining Moment of Psychological Trauma: What Makes a Traumatic Event Traumatic?” (pp. 33–51)
Fahrudin, A. (2012). Preparing Social Work Students for Working with Disaster Survivors. Asian Social Work & Policy Review, 6(2), 86-94.
Document: Case Study: Sam (PDF)

Required Media

van der Kolk, B. (Producer). (n.d.). Bessel van der Kolk on understanding trauma [Video File]. Psychotherapy.net.
Watch “The Evolving Definition of Trauma” and “The Brain’s Role in Bodily Housekeeping” segments by clicking the applicable link under the chapters tab.
 
 

ssignment: Impact of Crisis, Trauma, and Disaster Events on Mental Health

When a critical incident occurs, it can feel like an emotional earthquake to the survivor, disrupting his or her overall functioning. In cases of prolonged trauma (e.g., childhood sexual abuse or war), there is no immediate “clean-up” effort, resulting in prolonged exposure to trauma. In other cases, such as natural and human-made disasters and acts of terrorism, there are often large-scale responses to intervene immediately following the event. The impact of crisis, trauma, and/or disaster on the mental health of the survivor is dependent upon the type of critical incident, the available resources, the actions of the responders, the physical and emotional state of the survivor, and the survivor’s support systems.

For this Assignment, read the case study Sam located in this week’s resources. Think about the impact of crisis, trauma, and/or disaster on the individual in the case study. Think about a crisis, trauma, or disaster that you have experienced. Reflect on the impact it had/has on your mental health and the mental health of those around you.

The Assignment (2–3 pages):

• Provide an analysis of the impact of crisis, trauma, and/or disaster on the person presented in the case study. Be specific and provide examples to illustrate.
• Briefly describe a personal example of crisis, trauma, or disaster, and explain the impact it has had on you and others.

Support your Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are required to provide a reference list and to appropriately cite, in APA style, all references used within your Assignment.

By Day 7