Crisis Intervention Handbook: Assessment, Treatment, and Research » (3rd Edition)

Roberts, Albert R., PhD, DACFE (Rutgers Univ)

Crisis intervention has become the most widely used brief treatment modality in the world. As a result of millions of acute crisis events occurring each year and impacting the lives of the general public, interest in crisis intervention, response teams, and crisis management has grown tremendously in the past decade. However, there exists a limited amount of literature designed to give timely and comprehensive help for crisis workers. This book fills that gap. It is the first interdisciplinary handbook to prepare the crisis counselor for rapid assessment and timely crisis intervention in the 21st century.
In this classic volume, Dr. Roberts and 34 clinical experts and distinguished chapter authors have set the "standard of care and treatment" for persons in trauma and acute crises. This handbook gives all professionals ready access to the specific guidelines, practice techniques, protective factors and resilience, case study applications, and crisis intervention strategies that are most appropriate for maximizing opportunities for rapid assessment and crisis resolution.
Now expanded and fully updated, Crisis Intervention Handbook: Assessment, Treatment, and Research, Second Edition focuses on crisis intervention services for persons who are victims of natural disasters, school-based and home-based violence, violent crimes, and personal or family crises. Consisting of five parts, it covers a broad array of subjects, including psychiatric emergencies, medical crises, community-wide disasters, and high school shootings. Part I provides an overview; Part II addresses crisis assessment and intervention models for children and youths; Part III explores crisis intervention and prevention for victims of violence; Part IV describes crisis assessment and intervention in health and mental health related crises; and Part V focuses on research and outcome studies on the effectiveness of crisis intervention programs throughout the world.
In the current managed-care era of accountability and utilization of best practices, every practitioner will find this handbook indispensable and essential reading. It applies a unifying model of crisis intervention, making it appropriate for front-line crisis workers, clinical psychologists, social workers, psychiatric mental health nurses, counselors, and graduate students who need to know the latest steps and methods for intervening effectively with persons experiencing a full-blown crisis episode.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Pamela Marcus, RN, MSCS(Private Practice)
Description:This book is a chronicle of the advances made in the last ten years in crisis intervention as well as a presentation of the editor's seven-stage model of intervention with the addition of sixteen new chapters and original chapter revisions.
Purpose:The editor uses research and trends in crisis intervention to provide a conceptual base that can be used by the crisis intervention professional. His model assists the crisis counselor to utilize an immediate, short term, and structured means of providing care that is geared to buoying up the individual's coping abilities for short term crisis resolution.
Audience:This book is written for graduate level clinicians in mental health services. This is an excellent reference to be used as a textbook in a graduate level program.
Features:This text is divided into five parts. In the overview the editor gives a comprehensive background of crisis intervention theories as well as the introduction of his model. He includes crisis assessment and treatment of children, victims of violence, health related crisis, and research. Different crisis intervention delivery systems are discussed.
Assessment:Since I reviewed the book I have begun using it as a teaching tool in the Crisis Intervention Service where I am the clinical director. The Robert's Model is particularly helpful for use as a conceptual basis for crisis intervention practice. Critical Incident Debriefing is also covered in a comprehensive manner and can reinforce learning for practitioners who are certified in CISM, as well as whet the appetite for clinicians who are not certified in this practice.

Part I: Overview