Managing Stress in Crisis Response Professions - 2Units

The ongoing threat of both natural and human-caused disasters makes it imperative that we support and encourage the brave men and women who prepare for and respond to these events—our crisis response professionals. These professionals include first responders, public health workers, construction workers, transportation workers, utilities workers, volunteers, and a multitude of others. This course focuses on general principles of stress management, and offers simple, practical strategies that can be incorporated into the daily routine of managers and workers. It also provides a concise orientation to the signs and symptoms of stress. While every situation is unique, this document provides some basic tools that can inspire and spread optimism and point the way to effective stress management.

Target Audience

This course is designed for healthcare providers and professionals who work with first responders. Specifically, it is designed for Licensed Professional Counselors, Social Workers, Psychologists, Chemical Dependency Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Nurses, or any other healthcare provider that is likely to gain professionally from increased knowledge in the subject area. It is appropriate for any provider that is likely to come into contact with those dealing with issues related to the clinical topic in the course of practice.

Teaching Methods

CEUstore.com provides continuing education opportunities for the clinician or practitioner via the World Wide Web. Each person who chooses a course, absorbs the information provided, and subsequently scores 70% or above on the associated test will be provided a certificate of completion that will show the clinician or practitioner has mastered the information provided. Following that procedure each clinician or practitioner will be provided the opportunity to evaluate the process so that CEUstore.com will be able to determine if its objectives are accurate, relevant, and appropriate. Other methods for feedback from customers at CEUstore.com are also provided on this site. Each clinician or practitioner is encouraged to communicate with CEUstore.com via these methods.

Learning Objectives

The objective of this course is to familiarize the learner with research on the nature, identification, and treatment strategies regarding the treatment of people who respond to crisis and disaster. The course is intended to assist clinicians and others with enhancing knowledge of the subject. Since mental healthcare practitioners are at a higher than average risk of encountering someone who is coping with the aftermath of violence or disaster, the ability to identify the problem and generate some initial treatment strategies is appropriate.

Skill Development

At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1.      Identify statistical information related to crisis responders who have dealt with violence and disaster.

2.       Understand and identify psychosocial factors associated with violence and disaster when related to crisis responders.

3.      Enhance understanding of mental health risks associated with violence and disaster.

4.      Demonstrate an enhanced understanding of efficacy in different treatment approaches.

5.      Correctly answer 70% of multiple choice questions on a quiz over the material