What does crisis intervention involve?

Crisis intervention is a process that focuses on providing immediate assistance to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis or distress. The primary goal of crisis intervention is to engage these individuals effectively to de-escalate potentially volatile situations and ensure safety for all involved. This may involve utilizing various communication techniques, active listening, and empathy to help the individual feel understood and supported.

While providing long-term counseling services is important in mental health support, it is not the primary focus of crisis intervention, which is meant to address immediate needs and stabilize a person in crisis. Ensuring that all parties are satisfied with the resolution is more pertinent to conflict resolution than to crisis intervention, which prioritizes safety and stabilization over satisfaction. Lastly, while creating reports for emergency services can be part of the follow-up process after a crisis, it is not a central component of what crisis intervention entails, which is focused on real-time assistance and support.