Evolution of Crisis Intervention

Event

Event description

Impact on Crisis Intervention

Example:

The First Crisis Line

In 1906, the first crisis phone line for suicide prevention was developed.

The crisis phone line was one of the first crisis interventions available. It is also one of the longest running interventions. This led to other research into suicide prevention.Telephone crisis intervention hotlines have since been established for other crisis situations. It provides for “in- the-moment” responses to a crisis from any location.

Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire

In 1942, a fire broke out in Cocoanut Nightclub and killed more than 400 people.

The survivors from the fire all showed emotional responses as well as the need for psychological assistance and support. The experiences Dr. Gerald Caplan had with the survivors is what led to the first attempts to explain what a crisis was and the attempt to build a theory about crisis. In the 1960’s Dr. Caplan’s attempt had led to other attempts that were to provide structure for crisis internvetions.

Community Mental Health Act of 1963

The act changed the way mental health services were provided and it required state insane asylums to be closed down.

Mental health services were to be provided by community mental health systems, mental health centers were to provide emergency services and provide crisis intervention twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. Due to the patients not being docile, medication compliant, or fully functional they became homeless which led to the creation of the police intervention team to provide help to the mentally ill on the streets.

Police Crisis Internvetion Team

The first Police Crisis Internvetion Team (police officers trained to handle mentally ill civillians) was created after police in Memphis shot and killed a man in 1987 because the man suffered from severe schizophrenia.

Law enforcement from other Jurisdictions wanted training for their officers so that they could handle mentally ill civillians as well. It started off as a small group made up of mental health professionals, government officials, and police officers and has grew to over 2,400 jurisdictions in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Africa. It has led to international movement, which is to organize large-scale crisis intervention operations.

International Movement

United Nations Inter-Agency Standing Committee made up of published guidelines to help in mental health emergency situations.

International movement has led to Europe creating European Network Traumatic Stress guidelines to provide evidence-based responses to help those that suffer from the lack of psychological resources. It has led to International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Sociaties to help people and communities to help heal and rebuild after critical events to ensure that they become active survivors rather than passive victims.

Media and Societal Impetus for Crisis Intervention

The reason for the extraordinary growth of the crisis intervention movement experienced from the years of 1970 to present years.

Media is one thing that has led to the significant role of bringing awareness of crises and crisis internvetions to the public. The media has changed the publics perception of the world as actually being interconnected, unsafe, crisis prone, and dangerous which has to the acceptance of crisis interventions. The acceptance of crisis internvetions has led to more positive acceptance to outreach programs and less blaming of those that are psychologically inadequate.