Very often the good intentions of the crisis manager may end in completely opposite consequences. Because, the interventions are made without considering the nature and sensitivity of the victims. There are always limits to the extent to which interventions can be provided, and it is important to understand this. The culture of the person, can influence the way in which they interpret these intervention measures. Thus, it would be ideal to have a basic cultural awareness, before planning crisis intervention for the group. A person’s culture, can influence the way they perceive stress, threats, healing and the reaction of the responders. Thus, a need based and culturally sensitive approach is recommended during crisis management. (Kanel, 2003)
The ABC model of crisis intervention involves: developing and maintaining contact, identifying the problem and coping. This model would be more applicable to begin with, rather than behavioral problem solving model. The latter model is more likely to face resistance in a new culture that is not welcoming to the recommended behavior change. Behavioral and cognitive changes are more applicable to long term crisis management. During a crisis, victims and survivors want immediate support. (Kanel, 2003)
One of the common mistakes done by most crisis interventionist or counselors, is to assume that all individuals in a group would agree with an intervention. In the U.S, we have 4 dominant minority cultures: African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and the Middle Easterners (Stone & Conley, 2004; Rosen, Greene, Young, & Norris, 2010). I find the Middle Easterners risky to work with, because a majority of them are conservative and have strict religious needs. They also have difficulty understanding and responding to the counselor. I would overcome the crisis by befriending some popular individual in the group and use his or her help, to reach out to the group. This can help to build trust and confidence.
References
Kanel, K. (2003). A guide to crisis intervention (pp. 36-44). Pacific Grove, CA, USA: Brooks/Cole Pub. Co.
Rosen, C., Greene, C., Young, H., & Norris, F. (2010). Tailoring Disaster Mental Health Services to Diverse Needs: An Analysis of 36 Crisis Counseling Projects. Health & Social Work, 35(3), 211-220. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/hsw/35.3.211
Stone, D. & Conley, J. (2004). A Partnership Between Roberts' Crisis Intervention Model and the Multicultural Competencies. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 4(4), 367-375. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/brief-treatment/mhh030
