Steps to Use for Crisis Intervention Calls

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, almost 59 percent of adults and 50 percent of children receive some type of mental health care -- including inpatient, outpatient or medication management. People with mental health issues may experience crisis for a variety of reasons, from environmental stresses to medication changes. Effective and quick intervention from crisis hot line intervention workers can prevent tragedy from occurring.

Instructions

• 1

  Identify yourself by name and ask the person for her name. Calling the person by her first name can establish rapport and trust between you, a necessary component for successful crisis intervention. Do not push if she refuses to give her name; instead, reassure her you want to listen and help no matter who she is.

• 2

  Ask the person the reason for her call. You need to assess whether the person is suicidal, homicidal or both in the first few minutes of the call. Signs a person is in need of immediate intervention include statements about self-harm or suicide, threats to kill someone, scattered thoughts and statements -- and the inability to calm or focus the person after several minutes.

• 3

  Call for immediate police assistance, if you believe the person is going to harm herself or someone else. Indicate to the caller your concern for her or another person's safety and tell her you are sending someone to help. Keep the person on the phone until help arrives.

• 4

  Talk to the caller about why she is feeling down, depressed or upset; if you have previously assessed she is not suicidal or homicidal. Ask open-ended questions and use reflective listening to help understand how and why she is feeling the way she does. For example, you might ask, "What prompted you to make this call...?" and allow her to explain.

• 5

  Ask the caller to describe coping methods which have worked in the past. The person in crisis can be overwhelmed and forget she has skills to help her through her problems. Talking to her about her coping skills can remind her she has the ability to work through her issue. You can also suggest coping skills that have worked for other callers or yourself in the past.

• 6

  Develop a working plan with the caller for when you hang up the phone. You may suggest she write down her plan and share it with family or friends. The plan should have immediate and preventive strategies in it. The immediate plan will get the caller out of the crisis and back to normal functioning. The preventive plan will help prevent an issue from occurring again.

• 7

  Close the call on a positive note and remind the caller of her strengths. Assure the caller she can call back for more help if necessary. Develop a follow-up plan -- either a home visit or phone call -- to be sure the intervention was successful.