Course Description

Helping professionals regularly encounter crisis situations in various work environments. At times, they can seem overwhelming and taxing, even for the most seasoned professional. Managing a crisis effectively can dramatically decrease individual, family and a community’s possible traumatic and/or mental health reactions, increase coping strategies, reduce the possibility of chronic or maladaptive symptoms and re-establish pre-crisis equilibrium or functioning. The emphasis of this workshop will relate to mental health in a variety of possible settings with various populations including: children and youth, adults, seniors and families in the context of broader systemic influences.

Upon completion of this workshop, participants can expect to:

• Increase their knowledge base related to crisis intervention theory, as well as various models and their application.
• Increase their awareness of personal reflexivity, values and beliefs related to crisis themes.
• Broaden their understanding of, and develop intervention strategies related to, specific areas of trauma and crisis that may include: mental health and addictions, loss (anticipatory and ambiguous), grief, possible intimate partner violence (if participants are not enrolled in other trauma workshops with this theme), aging parents and related sibling and family issues, as well as community theory and interventions, with a heightened focus on school violence.
• Gain skills in assessing and intervening suicidality ideation and behaviours, as well as understanding the duty to protect and warn as it relates to ethics.
• Gain an understanding of broader systemic influences, as well as work with diverse populations/social locations and the possible role of spirituality.
• Gain knowledge and develop strategies related to self-preservation and safety.

This workshop will offer numerous practical skills and interventions, case examples, practice exercises, video clips and rich discussions as experiences are shared by the instructor and participants. In addition, there will be useful handouts for future referencing.

As themes for review are quite varied and are all important, there is room for flexibility around the course themes, depending on the experiences and interests of the participants. Hope to see you there!

Notes

For more information contact the Faculty of Social Work Professional Development office:

Email: fswprofessionaldevelopment@wlu.ca
Phone: 519-884-0710 ext. 5234

 

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Counselling Skills for Mental Health : Counselling Skills for Mental Health
• Trauma Certificate : Trauma Certificate