Home > Crisis Intervention in Child Abuse and Neglect > Crisis Intervention in Child Abuse and Neglect: Termination And Follow-Up Services

Crisis Intervention in Child Abuse and Neglect

Author(s):   U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Gentry, C. E.

Year Published:  1994

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You are in section: Table of Contents Attribution Preface Acknowledgments Overview Of The Manual 1 - Understanding Crisis 2 - Crisis Intervention Goals… 3 - Crisis Intervention Assessment 4 - Crisis Intervention Treatment… 5 - Understanding Special Family… 6 - Termination And Follow-Up… 7 - The Crisis Intervention Worker 8 - Family-Centered Crisis… Summary Notes Glossary Of Terms Selected Bibliography Other Resources

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Termination And Follow-Up Services

Introduction

When crisis workers are able to convey a positive attitude about termination and follow-up, the family is left with a sense of accomplishment and self-sufficiency. From the beginning of crisis intervention, time limits, problem-solving, and empowerment toward independence are used to demonstrate confidence in clients' ability to overcome their predicament. Review and evaluation of their progress can enhance their self-esteem and prepare them to cope more adequately with future crises.

Establish Limits From the Beginning

The plan in every crisis intervention case is to limit the length of intervention, usually to between 4 and 12 weeks. (The current trend appears to be in the direction of the 4-week period, particularly when follow-up services are available in the community.) The family is apprised from the onset regarding the maximum length of intervention and is reminded from time to time. Time limits help families focus and move at a lively pace in making changes.

Teach Problem-Solving

Rather than "doing it for them," crisis workers must help families seek and use new approaches to solving their problems. Families learn coping skills to help them avoid future crises.

Encourage Independence

Time-limited, problem-solving approaches reduce dependence on the crisis worker, but so can suggestions that family members identify and implement their own goals and action steps. Crisis workers do not rescue. They empower clients to care for themselves. As clients gain access to various coordinated community services, they are less likely to remain dependent on the crisis worker.

Crisis workers teach assertiveness and empowerment to victims and abusers alike, allowing them to be in control of themselves and not frightened, helpless, overly aggressive, or dependent. These strategies help build toward the termination of the crisis services.

Review Progress

During termination with a family, reviewing with families where they started and what they have accomplished reinforces their readiness for termination of the intervention. The crisis worker engages the family in a celebration which focuses on:

• the family's ability to be an independent, adequately functioning system;
  
  
• tasks accomplished;
  
  
• new family coping patterns; and
  
  
• past and future use of resources.

Establish a Plan for Follow-up

Families vary in their need for follow-up services. Many require ongoing CPS case management to ensure the continued safety of the children. Additionally, some require referral to specialized, ongoing treatment programs or resources. All families, however, need to know that they can contact the crisis worker, if necessary, and that the crisis worker will be contacting them at a specific time in the future. A call to "see how the family is doing" reinforces progress.

Evaluate Outcomes

Outcome evaluations help crisis workers determine their effectiveness. Some of the critical outcome questions are:

• What does the family perceive as the outcome of the intervention?
  
  
• What were the specific changes in the clients' "feeling," "thinking," and "doing?"
  
  
• Were short-term goals largely accomplished?
  
  
• Are gains being maintained 6 months later?
  
  
• Is there recurrence of the same or similar crises?
  
  
• Do the children and parents appear to be safe and appropriately managing anger?⁹⁵

During the initial contact, families need to understand that crisis interventions are short lived; they need to know the absolute maximum length of intervention that can be offered. Independence is encouraged by teaching families how to solve the current, as well as any future, crisis. A review of the desired outcomes and a formalized plan for follow-up help create a positive termination.

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You are in section: Table of Contents Attribution Preface Acknowledgments Overview Of The Manual 1 - Understanding Crisis 2 - Crisis Intervention Goals… 3 - Crisis Intervention Assessment 4 - Crisis Intervention Treatment… 5 - Understanding Special Family… 6 - Termination And Follow-Up… 7 - The Crisis Intervention Worker 8 - Family-Centered Crisis… Summary Notes Glossary Of Terms Selected Bibliography Other Resources

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Updated on March 1, 2010