Crisis & Trauma Resource Padlet by Raymond Schultz

Introduction

sschultz6_1 — 2025-02-17 00:56:35 UTC

My name is Raymond Schultz and I am in the MA Professional Counseling program studying to become an LPC. My personal goal is to learn more about how trauma can be addressed on a community level. My professional goal is to gain further competency in the treatment of complex trauma. What I would most like to get out of this course is helpful resources and concrete strategies for helping clients who have experienced traumatic situations. I am excited to learn more about the research related to helping the brain and body heal from trauma in a therapeutic environment.

Ethical Requirements

sschultz6_1 — 2025-02-17 01:01:05 UTC

This is a code of ethics designed by the American Counseling Association to guide professional counselors in understanding and adhering to proper ethical and legal requirements within their practice.

Unit 1 Section 1: Introduction and Assessing Prior Knowledge

sschultz6_1 — 2025-02-17 01:58:56 UTC

This assignment was a nice chance to reflect on my own journey and how I could apply some of those lessons to my future role. Through the outside research I did, I was able to learn more about how trauma impacts the form and function of the brain, which explains so much within my own life and the things I have observed in others. Going forward, I'm excited to be a part of a career that provides help and healing to those confronting such a difficult challenge.

I also enjoyed the experience of reading and learning through interaction with my peers. In particular, the post from Channing shifted my perspective on postpartum depression and the way my own gender biases had clouded my perception. I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to hear and integrate so many diverse perspectives in my learning journey.

Unit 1 Section 2: Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders

sschultz6_1 — 2025-02-17 02:04:51 UTC

This assignment was a fantastic opportunity to create a unified summary of a wide variety of different disorders that I will likely encounter in my future career. I appreciated the chance to break down specific categories into more digestible parts that provide information relevant to identification, diagnosis, and treatment.

I appreciated the focus on helpful resources specific to each disorder. While generalized support can be helpful, there are specific experiences and struggles unique to each disorder that may be best addressed by resources that directly target the impacted demographic. This also helped remind me of the importance of seeking outside information and providing referrals as needed within my future career. Being able to provide someone with direction to the appropriate resource is a skill that I am excited to continue building.

Unit 2: Developmental Discussion on Trauma

sschultz6_1 — 2025-02-17 02:12:09 UTC

While I had previously done my own research into trauma, including types of trauma and the ACE studies, this was the first time that I had the chance to consider that information in a professional context. I think there is so much understanding to be gained through open discussion of how different types of trauma manifest and impact those that experience them. This is especially true when we consider that the most effective methods of addressing trauma is sometimes dependent on the type of trauma. Looking more specifically at the trauma that Cyntoia Brown experienced adds further support to these ideas about the ways in which trauma can drastically impact the lives of those who experience it.

Seeing the perspectives and conclusions of my classmates also helped to broaden my perspective while completing this assignment. I appreciated knowing that my classmates will be approaching their future careers equipped with knowledge and empathy about a wide range of traumas. I know from personal experience that a trauma-informed therapist can make a tremendous difference in the lives of those they work with.

Trauma Resources

sschultz6_1 — 2025-02-17 04:00:32 UTC

In doing my own research, I wanted to find a list that covered a wide variety of resources related to different types of trauma. This resource includes information related to obtaining support following a wide variety of traumatic experiences, including sexual violence, natural disasters, and substance abuse. Having a resource like this on hand would prove extremely useful to me in my future profession when trying to quickly locate an appropriate starting point for clients in crisis.

Resources for Youth

sschultz6_1 — 2025-02-17 04:10:05 UTC

The concise and accessible format of this brochure would make it a helpful resource to potentially share with parents or loved ones looking for knowledge on identifying manifestations of trauma in youth and providing necessary support. I appreciated the organized and straightforward way this resource approaches the topic and could see myself using this in my future profession.

Unit 3 Section 1: Psychological First Aid Certificate

sschultz6_1 — 2025-03-11 21:22:01 UTC

This assignment helped to integrate and solidify a lot of different things I’ve learned throughout the years about how to successfully navigate situations with individuals in crisis. I appreciated the way that the curriculum for this certificate broke down each section and gave clear examples of how to work with people experiencing a range of varied reactions to trauma. In disaster situations, it’s unfortunately easy to get swept up in emotion and chaos to the point of reducing effectiveness as a helper. Having a clear set of guidelines and steps to address those situations definitely bolstered my confidence in my ability to stay grounded and capable in crisis situations.

I also really benefited from the section talking about the importance of maintaining personal boundaries related to self-care and emotional well-being. The curriculum provided a lot of helpful ideas that I can apply in future situations to make sure I’m not burning myself out when trying to help others. A lot of the education I’d previously received about providing support to those in crisis focused solely on the person needing support, so I appreciated seeing the way this course emphasized the importance of self-care too.

sschultz6_1 — 2025-03-11 21:22:21 UTC

Unit 3 Section 2: Crisis Prevention and Threat Assessment

sschultz6_1 — 2025-03-11 21:23:50 UTC

As previously mentioned, I unfortunately didn’t get to contribute to this project as much I would have liked. As far as the sections I worked on, what I learned strongly reaffirmed what I’d been taught in previous courses about the importance of cultural awareness and education in relation to risk factors and vulnerable populations. These things can also help me as a future therapist to accurately identify those at the greatest risk of suicide and determine the most effective course of action to keep them safe.

I particularly appreciated seeing my classmates’ contributions in the section related to multi-agency collaboration because that was something I wanted to learn more about this semester. The part about clearly defining expectations and roles within an inter-agency team was helpful and a great reminder of the importance of practicing within the scope of my competency as a therapist. It also offered some great examples of outside resources that I can rely on when a client needs additional support.

sschultz6_1 — 2025-03-11 21:24:10 UTC

Unit 3 Section 3: ABC Crisis Model

sschultz6_1 — 2025-03-11 21:25:24 UTC

I really loved how this assignment broke down the process of assessing and responding to a hypothetical client’s needs. That process can feel overwhelming to confront all at once, but the way it was separated into concrete steps made it much less intimidating to approach. It also helped me to consider the full scope of client needs and the ways that different types of issues can actually be more interconnected than they initially appear.

As I completed this assignment, I found myself feeling engaged and empathetic towards the imaginary client while I visualized how to approach her treatment and help resolve her issues. It reiterated to me how important it is to me to provide those in need with the best possible help that I can. It was also a pleasant reminder that if I can find myself passionate and optimistic about a hypothetical client’s healing, then I’m sure I will feel even more excited about helping real clients in the future.

Referral Process

sschultz6_1 — 2025-03-11 21:26:13 UTC

Referrals are an essential part of a comprehensive and effective treatment process and therapists should not be afraid to refer out clients who are dealing with issues requiring more intensive or specialized treatment than is offered within that therapist’s practice. As part of this process, it is important to ensure that there is communication between agencies about assessments and necessary courses of action because it is easy for discrepancies in paperwork to occur when dealing with multiple different systems. Additionally, it may be helpful to keep a running list of available resources and what clients they could best serve to have in hand when referrals are needed. These resources can include a wide variety of things, such as community support groups, specialized addiction services, or inpatient behavioral health centers. In every case, proper assessment of client needs and a clear understanding of one’s own professional limitations is key. Therapists should never place their pride or even genuine desire to help above a client’s need to access specific help in order to achieve their goals (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2019).

Local Emergency and Non-Emergency Services

sschultz6_1 — 2025-03-11 21:27:06 UTC

National Suicide and Crisis Hotline: 988

To reach a Virginia call center via an out-of-state phone number: 703-752-5263

This is a 24-7 hotline that anyone can call when they are experiencing a mental health crisis for immediate support (988 Lifeline, 2022).

Virginia Community Services Board: https://vacsb.org/csb-bha-directory

This resource is intended to help Virginians with issues related to mental health, disability, and substance use and this link provides a list of different phone numbers for each county in Virginia (CSB/BHA Directory, n.d.).

NAMI Virginia: https://namivirginia.org/

This is a link to the Virginia chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an organization designed to provide support and advocacy to those struggling with mental illness and their loved ones (NAMI Virginia, 2016).

Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services: https://dbhds.virginia.gov/

This resource serves the people of Virginia by providing a range of behavioral health services to help prevent and address issues related to mental illness and substance abuse (Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, n.d.)

The Importance of Cultural Competence

sschultz6_1 — 2025-03-11 21:27:53 UTC

Cultural competence is essential in treating trauma because culture can have an extensive impact on the likelihood of an individual experiencing trauma as well as their response to that trauma and the best potential treatment plan. Without taking into consideration a client’s cultural background and the unique experiences and associated practices, a therapist would risk missing key signs of trauma and distress. In particular, clients from marginalized cultural backgrounds face a higher risk of many types of individual and systemic traumas that a therapist should consider and potentially screen for in treatment (Bryant-Davis, 2019).

Crisis Text Line

sschultz6_1 — 2025-03-11 21:30:41 UTC

I included this because I know many young people are increasingly comfortable communicating via text rather than traditional phone calls. Such a client might be less likely to call a crisis hotline when they need it, so providing access to alternate forms of communication is important. This could also be helpful to clients who are hearing impaired as well as those that are reliant on a screen reader or other accessibility features that may not be as compatible with phone calls.

Eating Disorder Resource

sschultz6_1 — 2025-03-11 21:33:53 UTC

This resource did a particularly good job at looking at multiple different eating disorders from a range of perspectives. It also provides helpful links and community resources to those who are struggling.

sschultz6_1 — 2025-03-11 21:37:22 UTC

References

sschultz6_1 — 2025-03-11 21:39:04 UTC

Bryant-Davis, T. (2019). The cultural context of trauma recovery: Considering the posttraumatic stress disorder practice guideline and intersectionality.

Psychotherapy, 56(3), 400–408.

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2019). Chapter 5—Effective Referrals and Collaborations. Nih.gov; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64299/

CSB/BHA Directory. (n.d.). Virginia Association of Community Services Boards (VACSB). https://vacsb.org/csb-bha-directory/

NAMI Virginia. (2016, March 4). NAMI Virginia. https://namivirginia.org/

Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. (n.d.). Dbhds.virginia.gov. https://dbhds.virginia.gov/

988 Lifeline. (2022). 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org. https://988lifeline.org/