Crisis Management Essay: Responding To A Flooded Family.

Upon completing this course, students will be able to:

1. Learn what constitutes a crisis – how it is distinct from day-to-day issues

2. Develop a crisis preparedness plan and vulnerabilities assessment

3. Understand the typical stages of a crisis, and how they are changing in the social media era

4. Learn to define the crisis and identify the stakeholders most affected by it

5. Identify and address the ethical issues presented by the crisis

6. Write a crisis communications plan, including a core set of strategic messages for each key stakeholder group (e.g., employees, customers, government officials, key opinion leaders, community leaders, etc.)

7. Understand the important of opinion/attitudinal research in crisis management

8. Develop a post-crisis plan, which includes learnings for the corporation and proof points for stakeholders on corrective actions to prevent a recurrence of the crisis 

What you'll learn

Serious social effects due to natural disasters can still be felt all over the world. This is in spite of   the invention of technological predictors. Technological advancement is meant to predict and therefore aid in minimizing their consequences. Individuals that get themselves in disaster crisis are usually overwhelmed and are traumatized and broken due to the losses they suffer (Al-Rousan and Wallace, 2014). Due to the casualties resulting from the disasters, humanitarian aids from various shelters are always on the watch to offer, emotional, monetary and even spiritual assistance to the victims. This paper focuses on the humanitarian service in a flooding disaster as it happened to a Rodriguez family.

Natural disaster refers to a normally happening occurrence, which causes devastating effects onto the people, and the environments affected. As seen in the case of Rodriguez, various aftermaths, health crises, loss of the home is both emotional and economic crisis to the family (Tkachuck, 2018) 

The natural disaster that the Rodriguez family faced is flooding. Flooding happens when excess water of a river spills out onto the floodplain because of bursting its banks. Flooding occurs during heavy downpour seasons. Heavy downpour with ensuing flooding certainty prompts authorities and disaster departments to issue flood warnings  

The Rodriguez family needs will change at different moments of the flooding crisis. In the immediate aftermath, the humanitarian personnel will call for emergent needs and thereafter the long-term needs for family rebuilding. A shelter will be the first basic need consideration for the Rodriguez family. A consideration to foster the family at makeup tents or permanent residential will be very important. Emotional support via caring gestures will be so helpful for the family together by offering them a listening ear. Spiritual support in this time of crisis will help build the family’s hope and faith in getting back to their knees. Monetary, goods and other donations will also be chief issues to get the Rodriguez family out of the flooding crisis (Thomas, 2017).

The model of crisis intercession approach called SMART (Strength-centered and Meaning inclined Approach to Resilience and Transformation) will be employed in the determination of the Rodriguez’s current and future needs. the SMART intervention which works well in a group setting and time limit will try to foster growth in the Rodriguez’s who are undergoing a crisis. The chief concentration of SMART intervention is renaissance and enhancement with the attainment of self as well as inner strength.

Examples of crises

Resilience and transformation stand out as the intervention’s role. Resilience involves the counteraction counter to the disruptions of free functioning when crisis arise whereas transformation explains the growth ability in the aftermath of the crisis.A lot has been introduced and developed in grief research fields with emphasis on meaning-making process. It is a daunting task to get and redefine meanings of life during significant trauma, which is the route to positive changes (Lowe, 2015).

Debriefing models that exist include the Mitchel Critical Incident stress debriefing which entails starting with initiation and base protocols then followed by fact phase which asks what transpired and the third step the thought phase with cognitive reactions. The fourth step is feeling phase of sensitive reception and fifth the reaction phase of consequences and signs and sixth the

Another model is the National organization of victim response debriefing that commences with initiation together with ground regulations then the emotional level of experience and thirdly the sensory experience and emotions at fourth then assessing what occurred regarding the changes and aftermath then normalizing the experience with coping and finalizing with closure.

The third model is the American Red Cross debriefing. Firstly is the groundwork, revelation of events and in third place the feelings and reactions which is supervened by coping strategies questioning the workable approaches than at fifth position the termination step. In addition, psychological debriefing entailing introduction into disaster role than the staff individual encounters with disasters or crisis and at the third place the re-checking of low aspects and feelings. The connections with the staff and family and the way they were impacted followed by empathy with fellow people then withdrawal from the disaster task which is proceeded by the consolidation of the whole disaster experience as documented in the "Comparative Analysis of Three Crisis Intervention Models Applied to Law Enforcement First Responders During 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina

The mind-body-spirit affiliation teaching where the connection between spiritual functionality, body security, and the feeling are analyzed with dependents is the first strategy for implementation of SMART. Moments when patronages are certain about improving their mood by sorting out their physical needs, and moments when taking care of their moods through physical movements, or massage, helps the clients’ mental resilience. It is so uplifting to know that there is a way out to helping oneself out (Platt, 2018).

Abandoning pain development elevation  where instead of focusing on the loss that is brought on by crisis and trauma, individual gains and power are tried in the whole sessions contrary to concentrating on trauma and crisis loses. While maintaining client connection, subjecting clients in positive surroundings where they can certainly  forget their situation replacing it with education and development opportunities is advisable.

Developing a crisis preparedness plan

Adapted from Gilliland (1982), the model is from James who covers the basis of intervening with disaster victims assist them to accept the situation and get back on their feet (Kanel, 2014). Defining the problem is the first step where the determination of the exact issue is here the professional service worker gests to establish a connection with the disaster victim. The active listening process that is vital at this stage includes positive regards and validity, which are the primary empathy elements together with the open-ended questions. Ensuring client safety follows as the next step, which includes even the homicide risk as well as suicide risk assessment as stated in chapter 3 of the text.

Restrictions to access to any means that can be lethal or that which the can be used by the victims to hurt themselves or even the professional worker himself. At third place is the support provision after ensuring that the client is physically safe with comprehensive issue definition. The crisis personnel then shows that he/she has to accept the client treating them with dignity and remind them about the care you have for them.  Taking care of the clients' basic needs as well as asking them about the things going on with their life.  The crisis worker can then assure the victim of alternatives available for their flooding crisis.

The fourth step entails an examination of the options where the crisis personnel advise the client to explore potential solutions to the crisis at hand. The alternative categories may include coping mechanisms, Situational Supports and the positive and constructive ways of thinking. Making Plans follows next where trust between the crisis personnel and the client has taken care of basic needs concentrating on the vital step of coming up plans to restore some sanity in the victim’s life (Kowesko, 2017).

Ensuring that the plan is not overwhelming but realistic is the center of focus for this step. Making the client feel empowered wins the completely humanitarian aid process. Obtaining Commitment completes the intervention process where you document your intentions and plans for tracking and follow up purposes. The model also allows for forwarding and regressive movement in case of unclear issues.

The strategies used in the flooding case of the Rodriquez which is considered to be an escalated functioning depression situation, since Sarah has lost her job in the restaurant that has been swept away and the two children who are in the devastating situation. Lack of insurance for the family heightens the situation even more. An active listening process (ALP) which is the critical competencies applied in carrying out the primary skills of displaying empathy and understanding your client’s situation and what their suggestions. Another fundamental strategy could be the three facilitative conditions, which include acceptance, validity, and empathy.

Keeping in mind that natural disasters are certain to strike any time, it is imperative to  be ready to face the situation. Even so, having functional and effective humanitarian aid staff is the difference for the victims to help them overcome the trauma and losses they incur and get back on their feet. Applying the models, steps and all the intervention strategies aforementioned will make the whole situation manageable.

References

Al-Rousan, T. M., Rubenstein, L. M., & Wallace, R. B. (2014). Preparedness for natural disasters among older US adults: a nationwide survey. American journal of public health, 104(3), 506-511.

Cassar, A., Healy, A., & Von Kessler, C. (2017). Trust, risk, and time preferences after a natural disaster: experimental evidence from Thailand. World Development, 94, 90-105.

Kanel, K. (2014). A guide to crisis intervention. Cengage Learning.

Khalsa, H. M. K., Denes, A. C., M. Pasini-Hill, D., Santelli, J. C., & Baldessarini, R. J. (2017).

Koweszko, T., Gierus, J., Wi?d?ocha, M., Mosio?ek, A., & Szulc, A. (2017). An introduction to the model of crisis intervention procedure for borderline patients (CIP-BP): a case study. Archives of psychiatric nursing, 31(3), 324-328.

Specialized Police-Based Mental Health Crisis Response: The First 10 Years of Colorado’s Crisis Intervention Team Implementation. Psychiatric services, 69(2), 239-241.

Lowe, S. R., Sampson, L., Gruebner, O., & Galea, S. (2015). Psychological resilience after Hurricane Sandy: the influence of individual-and community-level factors on mental health after a large-scale natural disaster. PloS one, 10(5), e0125761.

Platt, J. M., Lowe, S. R., Galea, S., Norris, F. H., & Koenen, K. C. (2016). A longitudinal study of the bidirectional relationship between social support and posttraumatic stress following a natural disaster. Journal of traumatic stress, 29(3), 205-213.

Thomas, G., Bruns, E. M., McBee-Strayer, S. M., Heck, K. M., & Bridge, J. A. (2017). 3.49 Intensive Crisis Intervention (ICI) for Adolescent Suicidality: An Open Pilot Trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(10), S220.

Tkachuck, M. A., Schulenberg, S. E., & Lair, E. C. (2018). Natural disaster preparedness in college students: implications for institutions of higher learning. Journal of American college health, 66(4), 269-279.