Cultural Considerations in Crisis Intervention
During times of crisis, one must consider the factors of culture and how it can relate to our students, their needs, and how a crisis may affect them and their families. Diverse cultures can include race and ethnicity, language, socio-economic status, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, history of trauma, mental and physical disabilities, and the like. Not everyone will react the same, grieve the same, handle stress the same, or have the same reactions to a crisis event, and we as mental health practitioners should be aware of this. We must also consider and acknowledge that we do not know everything about every culture, and admit when we do not have the knowledge.
Cultural competence can be incorporated into crisis plans and crisis teams as well. When putting together a crisis team and plan, it is important to be cognizant of:
When providing crisis intervention across culture, it is important to:
All in all, recognize your own limitations and apologize and/or admit when you do not know enough about a culture to work effectively with them. If necessary, connect them with someone else who may be better equipped to provide services and resources for their particular culture and needs during times of crisis.
Cultural competence can be incorporated into crisis plans and crisis teams as well. When putting together a crisis team and plan, it is important to be cognizant of:
- The culture of the student body and their diverse needs
- People who can be a part of the team, who can relate to diverse students and act as a liaison, and perhaps even speak the language(s) to be able to communicate effectively with families in times of crisis
- The culture of the community in which the school is located
- Your own biases, ignorance, and lack of knowledge about the various cultures in the school and community and how that may affect the provision of mental health services
- Broad generalizations that do not necessarily apply when it comes to different cultures
- How the meaning of grief, loss, suffering, pain, and trauma in the community’s cultural groups are often different from our own
- The formal and informal community resources that can help out with the diverse culture’s needs in times of crisis
When providing crisis intervention across culture, it is important to:
- Keep in mind the cost and expenses of a crisis that may cause a financial burden (i.e. cost of funeral, or how the loss of a loved one can impact the home financially)
- Dress appropriately; In most cultures, professionals wear suits or dresses
- Establish commonality; Ask about friends, family, loved ones; Eat and drink what is offered without compromising your own belief and culture
- Participate in rituals if requested; i.e. a funeral, memorial, or other activity to mourn the deceased
- Find out what is appropriate body language in the culture and use as necessary
- Keep in mind the other cultures sense of honor and pride, religious orientations and beliefs, their political systems and leaderships (especially if recently immigrated), previous traumas dealt with, as well as how they handle grief and loss
- Provide access to a liaison either at the school or in the community who can communicate with, or provide services for, those who are involved in the crisis
All in all, recognize your own limitations and apologize and/or admit when you do not know enough about a culture to work effectively with them. If necessary, connect them with someone else who may be better equipped to provide services and resources for their particular culture and needs during times of crisis.
Resources
Culturally Competent Crisis Response:
Cultural Perspectives on Trauma and Critical Response:
Culturally Competent Crisis Response: Information for School Psychologists and Crisis Teams:
Feel free to download your own copies of these documents below:
culturally_competent_crisis_response.pdf | |
File Size: | 346 kb |
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cultural_perspectives_on_trauma_and_critical_response.pdf | |
File Size: | 99 kb |
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culturally_competent_crisis_response_-_info_for_school_psychs.pdf | |
File Size: | 52 kb |
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