Group Portfolio Part 3 1

Crisis and Safety Methods and Interventions

● Agency/Case Management

Crisis Methods

1. The use of the “Community Systems” and “Use of Community Resources” approaches can be
beneficial for the children in crisis. A case manager can coordinate and make sure all agencies are
working together for the benefit of the child. Often, children in crisis require services from multiple
organizations, and it is paramount that they all work together, so the child’s needs are met (U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, 1994).

2. A case manager will help find resources for the child and family in crisis. If the child is not safe in their
home situation, a case manager can arrange for removing the child from the home until another
assessment can take place (Children’s Bureau, 2018).

3. An essential piece for crisis intervention for case managers is observing the family interactions and
conditions. They look below the interactions’ surface and try to see how the family members feel about
each other. The case managers are looking at all nonverbal behaviors to assess the family’s relationships
(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1994)

Safety Methods

1. CPS and case management/agencies put safety interventions in place to ‘substitute’ for a family’s lack
of protective capacities. Representing a change in the family, but the family system itself does not change.
Though the environment changes, the family system is externally reinforced through the use of safety
interventions. (Morton & Holder, 2000)

2. Considering the agency’s capacity and make sure that it is adequate and has educated (especially in
trauma-informed care) staff, and created resources available to take on child welfare cases and provide
support. The functioning of a child who has experienced abuse should be paramount. It should be focused
on when identifying activities and services. (Global Protection Cluster, Child Protection, 2014)

3. Ensuring proper living conditions are established. Home should be safe and allow the child to feel
protected and at ease. If living conditions are not up to par, taking steps to either remedy the current living
situation or finding a temporary placement.
Group Portfolio Part 3 2

● Clinical Treatment Facilities (therapy and counseling)

Crisis Interventions

1.​ An initial assessment will help understand the crisis, assess safety, and work to determine necessary
interventions/resources to move forward. This process should include an individual evaluation with the
child, an individual assessment of family members involved, and a group assessment with the family
together (minus the perpetrator if he/she is a family member). Families are systems that impact each other
through their individual experiences. Because of this, the assessment effort must be all-encompassing,
especially if the family needs further intervention to function in a way that keeps the child safe (U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, 1994).

2. A trauma-informed care approach can help build a trusting relationship to aid in disclosure and
understanding of the events associated with the crisis. It can be partly accomplished through support and
creating a safe environment. A study on crisis intervention showed that victims of abuse responded most
positively to expressions of validation, advocacy, empathetic understanding, and overall positive
responses. It is essential to avoid making negative statements about the perpetrator (Letts, 1992).

3. After determining the needs of the family/individual, help them set short and long-term goals to
re-establish the pre-crisis level of functioning through a strengths-based approach. Aiding in the
development of coping skills and problem-solving skills is useful during this time. Safe (U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, 1994).

Safety Interventions

1. The onset of services should not be delayed for too long, given the risks of exacerbating
symptoms or symptoms becoming chronic and resistant to treatment. Additionally, given the current
limitations on reliably predicting how an individual will react following CSA, or secondary trauma, the
need to have prompt and varied interventions available is critical.

2. Group interventions are considered by some to be the treatment of choice. To help pre-adolescent
and adolescent victims target feelings of isolation, social stigmatization, and reduce desires for secrecy.

3. Given the diverse needs of child victims and/or their non-offending family members, a continuum
of available treatments is imperative. We can provide on-site mental health services

for sexually abused youth, such as project SAFE (Sexual Abuse Family Education), a
cognitive-behavioral treatment program for the sexually abused child that may serve as a mental health
service model. The Project SAFE Group Intervention was designed to address three critical target areas
impacted by sexual abuse: (a) the individual or self (e.g., self-esteem, internalizing distress); (b)
relationships (e.g., social support, communication, externalizing problems with peers and family); and (c)
sexual development (e.g., sexual knowledge and abuse-related issues)
Group Portfolio Part 3 3

References

Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. (2018). Case planning and management in child protection. Retrieved from
https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/responding/child-protection/case-planning/#:~:text=Case%20manag
ement%20involves%20working%20with,when%20goals%20have%20been%20achieved

Hansen, D. J. (2011, May 2). Interventions for families victimized by child sexual abuse: Clinical
issues and approaches for child advocacy center-based services. Science Direct. Retrieved October 21,
2020, from ​https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S135917891100019X

Letts, K. L. (1992) Crisis intervention: an evaluation of services provided to families of sexually abused
children in Davis County, Utah. ​All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. ​Retrieved from:
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3393&context=etd

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1994) Crisis intervention in child abuse and neglect.
Retrieved from: ​https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/crisis/

Morton, T. D., & Holder, W. (2000). Issues and Strategies for Assessment Approaches to Child
Maltreatment. ​National Resource Center on Child Maltreatment.​

Global Protection Cluster, Child Protection. (2014). Interagency Guidelines for Case Management and
Child Protection. ​Global Child Protection Working Group.​