Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Overview EQ How can behavior

Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Overview EQ: How can behavior management techniques be incorporated to help teachers and students respond to the behaviors in an effective manner?

Goals Of Crisis Intervention • To provide immediate emotional and environmental support in a way that reduces the stress and risk to all students • To teach better, more constructive and effective ways to deal with stress or negative feelings for students

4 Questions We Ask Ourselves In A Crisis • What am I feeling now? • What does this student feel, need, or want? • How is the environment affecting the young person? • How do I best respond?

Behavior Management Techniques • • Managing the environment Prompting Caring gesture Hurdle help Redirection Proximity Planned ignoring and Positive attention Directive statements Time away

To De-escalate the Crisis Remove the potential trigger to violence by: • Never touching an angry and potentially violent person • Avoiding any aggressive moves and provocative statements • Avoiding the crisis cycle and counter aggression • Removing others that might trigger the violence • Body language

To De-escalate the Crisis Remove the target by: • Asking the targeted person to leave • If it’s you, reminding young person of your relationship • or leaving the situation and asking a “neutral” staff to manage the incident • The target may shift during the episode

EQ: How can we get students to reflect on their choices? • Life Space Interview • Uses students’ reactions to difficult situations as a means of gaining insight and understanding into their own feelings • Used as a learning and self-reflection tool • Goals: to clarify the events, teach coping skills and repair and restore the relationship between the child and the adult

Active listening What it is: • Identifies and expresses emotions • Is respectful of the student • Responds to feelings, rather than just behavior • Communicates that we care and understand • Helps students "talk out rather than act out" • What are nonverbal techniques? – – Silence Nods Facial Expression Eye Contact

What are REFLECTING techniques • Reflective Responses: "You are angry about your visit being canceled. I'd be upset too. “ • Summarization: "Here is what I hear you saying, you felt good at first, but now. . . "

Reintegrating the student back into class • Have the school counselor/psychologist/social worker talk with the student about what it’s going to look like • What if trigger happens again, how will student respond? • Provide them with options (tell the teacher, use a break card, etc. ) • Role Play with them

Documentation Who, what, when, where? What were the antecedents? What did staff do to de-escalate the situation? If physical contact, who did what (be specific)? Staff/student injuries? Medical attention? Debriefing of staff? • Follow up if needed? Was family notified? • •

Strategies for the Classroom • Use visuals (schedules, timers, transitions, choice books, break cards, etc. ) • Be receptive to sensory needs-have the OT do an observation or consult-not all sensory kids look the same or have the same needs • Plan ahead for activities that are known to be frustrating • Provide breaks when needed

References: • Holden, M. J. , Holden J. C. Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools. Residential Child Care Project, Cornell University, 2012