While AIHCP offers a Pastoral Thanatology Certification which aims at end of life and death counseling and spiritual care, pastoral care goes beyond merely helping individuals face the crisis of death, but it also stretches out throughout life where multiple pastoral and crisis events occur. Grief counseling, Christian counseling, as well as Stress Management and Anger Management are all key tools to help individuals face the problems of life, but crisis itself involves bandaging the bleeding wound and stabilizing the person emotionally and mentally. A person is crisis is facing a confusing and emotional imbalance that one’s coping strategies temporarily are unable to handle. The following can lead to immediate disorientation, loss of sense, and intense emotional outbreaks associated with sadness, anger, or hopelessness. In essence, ” for an individual, crisis is the perception or experiencing of an event or situation as intolerable difficulty that exceeds a person’s current resources and coping mechanisms (James, 2017, p. 9) “. For some in crisis, foolish decisions can be made, while others, inaction or inability to act can occur. Whether insanity and foolishness or numbness ensue, the person is in dire need of intervention to restore balance, reason and hope. The purpose of the pastoral counselor specialized in crisis intervention is to not only help the person restore that balance but also to give spiritual aid if needed. Chaplains and other on the scene professionals look to help these individuals in crisis find clarity and hope.
Please also review AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Specialist Program as well as its Pastoral Thanatology Program
Basic Crisis Intervention
Secular crisis intervention serves the most basic needs of those experiencing trauma or sudden loss. Whether a sudden deceased family member, a violent crime, a national tragedy, or act of nature, individuals need immediate care and assistance in these dark moments. Everly points out that traditional mechanisms of crisis intervention including early intervention, social support, cathartic ventilation, problem solving and cognitive reinterpretation are all essential basics for helpers in crisis (2000, p. 139). In addition, Mitchell looks at some of the most basic needs for those in crisis need through the acronym ASSISTANCE. Mitchell lists the need for Assurance of individuals that individuals, or the government will help in severe crisis. In addition, he lists Security is present and that children and families are safe if they follow directions and guides. Structure refers to order in chaos and the structure provided by others to help again restore order. Information refers to giving individuals in crisis, or part of disaster, the best knowledge and resources for a given crisis or disaster. Support refers to not only financial and guidance, but also mental and emotional support through crisis intervention as well as pastoral guidance. Truth refers to not hiding important information to those victims of disaster or terrorist action but letting them know everything pertinent to a situation to avoid further panic. Action refers to not merely thinking but also helping others in distress, whether it is the crisis counselor working with someone, or others helping a neighbor in need during disaster. Neutralize refers to negating pessimism but pushing forward with optimism and plans. Courage refers the inner resolve of those in crisis, disaster, or terrorist attack to move forward with renewed strength. Crisis and Pastoral counselors can play a key role in implanting this within individuals with words of encouragement. And finally this leads to Encouragement and being positive and pushing positive emotions and ideas with those in crisis but also fellow neighbors. (Mitchell).
Pastoral Crisis Intervention
These basic elements of helping others in crisis are core elements. It is important to help individuals by offering hope but also helping individuals find balance and restoring pre-crisis mental and physical health to help the person find logic and reinterpretation of the event to avoid insanity and inaction. Chaplains and other pastoral care givers who work in disaster sites, or work with police and fire can also offer another element of crisis care referred to as pastoral crisis intervention. When individuals in crisis of a particular faith are receptive, pastoral crisis interventionists whether at a death bed, hospice, sites of violent crimes, accidents, disasters, shootings or other terrorist acts can look to help sooth the soul as well. Everly illustrates various ways chaplains or other pastoral crisis interventionalists can apply pastoral care in crisis. He lists scriptural education, individual and conjoint prayer, intercessory prayer, explaining worldviews, offering ventilative confession, providing faith based support, supplying ritual and sacraments, and discussion of Divine forgiveness and discussions about life and death and the afterlife (2000, p. 140). Within this model it is also important to emphasize perceive reception for utilization of these strategies, which include receptive expectations from the person in crisis for spiritual care, or at least a receptive state of mind that is open to spiritual care, and finally not limiting it only to the person in direct crisis, but being there for other family members, police and rescue, as well as physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals (Everly, 2000, p. 140).
Potential issues can erupt those for chaplains or other pastoral care givers. It is essential first and foremost not to see oneself as a spreader of the particular faith one adheres to. One is bringing spiritual comfort to those in crisis. Chaplains in hospice or on staff for hospitals, or even prisons, or those who appear on crisis sites are there to serve all people of all faiths. This is why they must be equipped with basic knowledges different religions, ranging from Christianity to Islam to Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as Judaism to even Taoism. In some cases, individuals may be merely receptive to hear a caring voice. Chaplains or those in pastoral care in crisis need to be aware of their role as bringers of peace. If a patient or victim of crisis shares the same faith values, then such issues of universal speech of spirituality can be narrowed down theologically to the faith shared, but when not, some victims may request someone else who shares the same faith, or even wish not to discuss spirituality. Sometimes, it is the duty of the chaplain to find a rabbi, iman or priest for a particular individual if one cannot meet the spiritual needs itself. When reception is not open, chaplains and other pastoral care givers in crisis must respect these wishes to avoid further stress and frustration within the individual. A person who is dying, or in crisis does not need further agitation if spirituality is discussed. Furthermore, chaplains, while present to give peace, are not equipped to offer certain faith based services to other individuals. For example, a minister is not able to offer Last Rites but must find priest, or in other cases, chaplains should not delve into religious practices they are not trained in or go against their personal beliefs. Such subjects should be left avoided or referred to other clergy capable and willing.
Everly lists a few issues that can occur in application of pastoral crisis intervention that are important keys for chaplains and other crisis givers need to remember. Among them, he lists failure to listen to the secular needs of an individual. He further lists lack of a proper or structured plan when arriving upon a crisis or death scene. He also points out the the dangers of debating religious and spiritual issues with those in crisis, or attempting to explain theological issues, or preaching to a unreceptive individual, as well as trying to convert someone (2000, p. 141). Obviously these issues are addressed in chaplaincy training and crisis response. Chaplains learn in CPE training that they are present to offer peace not agitation. They are not their to convert but to help with whatever spiritual or emotional need is within the person who is in crisis or dying. Many who are strong within their faith may feel an inner obligation to bring their faith to the individual, but this impulse must be controlled for those who do not seek it or receptive to it. Not everyone will share the same faith, but one is called to serve all individuals and meet the unique needs of those individuals. One does not merely serve one’s own, but serves all common humanity.
In addition, Everly lists some diagnosis mistakes that can be made with individuals in acute crisis that should be avoided. Many times, individuals in crisis can be mistaken as depressed when it is merely grief reaction to loss. Also, chaplains and pastoral crisis interventionists need to be aware of brief psychotic reaction vs intrusive ideation, dissociation vs intrusive ideation as well as acute cognitive impairment vs severe incapacitation (2000, p. 141). Ultimately, many individuals need to be referred later to licensed counselors to deal with longer term issues after crisis. In some cases, the counseling may only need to be at pastoral levels but in other cases, clinical counseling may be required. Chaplains and crisis interventionists are again present to supply immediate emotional and spiritual first aid, much like an EMT who physically stops the bleeding or acute issues, while the nurses and physicians repair the long term damage. Likewise, chaplains and crisis intervention counselors later refer those who have stabilized to the appropriate behavioral health and human service professionals.
Conclusion
According to Evenly “Pastoral Crisis Intervention is the functional integration of pastoral activities with traditional crisis intervention/emergency health services (2000, p. 141)”. With this definition, one can see the important role chaplains play in helping individuals in crisis, whether due to terrorist action, natural disaster, violent crime, sudden death, or even near death in hospice or hospital settings. Chaplains are not to evangelize the Gospel but grant peace and spiritual presence. In some cases, they may be called to find a representative of the person’s faith, other times, they may be working with one of the same faith, but ultimately the goal is to treat all of humanity not only one of a particular faith. In this regard, chaplains must be trained in multi faiths and multicultural counseling competencies to better speak and help others in different faiths. In addition, chaplains are sometimes not even called to discuss spirituality because secular individuals in crisis may not wish to speak about it. Chaplains, especially those on crisis scenes are called to respect the wishes of others and bring calm and restoration of pre-crisis state of mind.
Please also review AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Program, as well as AIHCP’s Pastoral Thanatology Program. Both AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Specialist Certification and Pastoral Thanatology Certification are online and independent study with mentorship as needed. The programs lead to four year certifications for qualified professionals.
Resources
Evenly, G. (2000) “The Role of Pastoral Crisis Intervention in Disasters, Terrorism, Violence and Other Community Crises”. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health.
James, R. & Gilliland, B. (2017). Crisis Intervention Strategies (8th). Cengage
Mitchell, J. “The Meaning of Assistance”.
Additional Resources
“National Hotline for Mental Health Crises and Suicide Prevention”. Naomi. Access here
Davies, B. (2023). “Crisis Intervention: Techniques and Strategies”. NWA Crisis Center. Access here
Cherry, K. (2022). “How Crisis Counselors Help People Coping With Trauma”. VeryWellMind. Access here
“A Chaplain’s Role in Times of Crisis”. (2019). Christian Reformed Church” The Network. Access here