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Crisis Intervention in Child Abuse and Neglect
User Manual Series (1994)

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

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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Summary

When Crisis Occurs

When a crisis occurs in a family, such as a child abuse or neglect report and investigation, family members are more likely to accept intervention from "outsiders." Through focused and coordinated efforts, crisis workers can profoundly strengthen or stabilize families in crisis, helping parents become more nurturing and supportive of their children.

In addition to being well coordinated with other community resources, during and after their time-limited intervention, crisis workers make planned responses to the families. A response to the family is made within 24 to 72 hours. After hours of active listening, the crisis worker encourages the family to choose one to four treatment goals on which to focus for about 4 to 12 weeks, although a few crisis intervention programs continue for 4 to 6 months.

The respectful crisis worker facilitates the family's ability to change what it wants to change, not what the worker wishes it would change. By focusing on a few goals, most families become less frustrated and, thus, safety for the children is assured. The 24-hour, 7-day-per-week availability of the worker is critical to the children's safety.

Using a positive attitude and an eclectic, time-limited, solution-focused approach to treatment, crisis workers are wise to provide concrete services as well as counseling. Prior to and during the termination phase of treatment, family members are encouraged to "celebrate" or enjoy their accomplishments. Throughout the process, a family focus is maintained.

Crisis workers do not burn out when they are well trained, discuss cases with their supervisor and peers, and feel comfortable in being honest about their personal feelings during supervision. Family preservation programs report 70 to 90 percent success in preventing out-of-home placements while also keeping children safe. By concentrating on the total family, rather than "rescuing" children, crisis workers' respectful approach enables families to stay together.

Anticipating Crises and Planning Proactively

Instead of waiting for child abuse and neglect crises to occur, every community should work toward an integration of services which are responsive to individual, family, neighborhood, and community needs.

Health, education, law enforcement, and social service agencies should strive to overcome fragmented programs by offering comprehensive services that provide early intervention, prevention, and family-oriented programs and allow for collaborative teamwork.

Planning together as a community allows for the development of a continuum of care that addresses the holistic needs of families and clearly assigns roles to each participating professional and organization, keeps children safe, improves family functioning and, where possible, keeps families together. Thereby, crisis intervention teams, case managers, and follow-up services are available and "ready" when crises arise.

Ultimately, the question is: Why does any community wait for severe abuse or neglect to occur before offering help? Through medical, legal, social service, educational, mental health, and day care systems, early identification of child and family problems is possible. Many families are open to help in overcoming their stresses before a crisis of severe child maltreatment. Through integrated services, which offer a continuum from prevention to institutionalization, more effective outcomes can be achieved. For instance, many "at risk" families need access to basic child development and concrete services.

Advocacy by professionals and clients alike is needed to get primary and secondary preventive education and services to families. Similarly, it is imperative that Child Protective Services improve its public image and gain support. CPS professionals can enhance their image by advocating for parents to receive the skills and supports they need to build strong families and keep children safe.

previous

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 October 9, 2009