Biases

It is important to realize that despite all the training in crisis interventions we all have biases. Training can include professional training such as that received by medical personnel such as physicians, nurses, EMT, paramedics, mental health professionals, or paraprofessionals such as crisis intervention counselors, or persons working in residential or schools with residents/students who are challenged, or in prisons where many are diagnosed with mental health/behavioral health needs. Please see the online resources for some different trainings.

Using the training received, coupled with understanding what our biases may be are important to assist clients.

• Learning about your unconscious biases – test yourself
• We all carry biases despite our best efforts to eliminate them. Take the online assessment tool that can provide you with opportunities to explore your biases entitled . Please note that it is not necessary to share the results. However, please indicate which tests you took, your impressions of the tests and responses, and what you learned based upon the audio information and the reading in this section.

As we learn about biases, the following may be helpful for us to understand how we and our clients make decisions and how our biases can be formed. As you take the tests above, reflect on what you may be learning from this video and how it may influence your decisions and beliefs.

Listen to or read what may influence decision making

In the video, Dan Ariely asks, (17 minutes, filmed December, 2008, captioned, ). In this video,the presenter Dan Ariely shows decisions may, more often than not, be determined by other things than us. The concepts provided in this video shows us than we can be steered into making decisions.

Using the above information, the knowledge you have about yourself and what’s been learned regarding how to identify crisis intervention services, what types of services are provided, who provides the services, and the steps to providing the services, discuss:

• Differences and similarities between crisis counseling and longer term counseling. Include the step by step process of assessment including the assessment tools and interventions you would use.
• Most effective means for the client to receive services–In person, via phone, or text, Facetime or other means and if there are cultural preferences in communication.
• Training that may be needed to provide crisis services vs. longer term therapy.
• How your biases might impact the interaction with the persons in crisis.

Use the readings to support what you write. As a way to help the discussion, use examples of situations where crisis intervention may be best vs. long term counseling. The book we use is James, R. (2024). Crisis Intervention Strategies (9th ed.). Cengage Learning US. https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9798214125787 and assessment tool used.