The purpose of the Case Conceptualization Project is to assess the culmination of your knowledge and skills related to crisis intervention.
Overview
This project involves writing a 6-8 page paper that conceptualizes a scenario you create. This can be based on your own clinical/internship experience; however, you should not use real names to protect the privacy of clients. The scenario should demonstrate your ability to apply the skills learned in this course.
- You will create a scenario focused on a crisis specific to one of the following special topics:
- Sexual assault
- Intimate partner violence
- Child welfare
- Mental health
- Substance use
- Grief/loss
- Natural disaster
- Mass violence
- Community violence
- You also should focus on a special population, such as:
- LGBTQ
- Child or adolescent
- Military or veteran
- Older adults
- Other populations may be appropriate if approved by your instructor in advance
Identify each component of the crisis (precipitating event, hazardous atmosphere, clients perception of the precipitating event, emotional distress, decrease in functioning, failure of normal coping skills).
- Demonstrate how you would address all phases of the ABC Model with the client, including a description of skills used at each phase with specific quotations of what you would say to demonstrate the skill.
- Note what considerations may be indicated for the special crisis type and special population. For example, for intimate partner violence, you may discuss how couples counseling is not recommended but individual counseling and safety planning is.
- Your client must be contemplating suicide or violence so that you can demonstrate how you would help someone in that situation. Demonstrate how you would complete a suicide and/or violence assessment, including descriptions of the types of questions you would ask to assess suicide and/or violence risk level. Explain what risk level you assessed for the client and how you determined this risk (desire, intent, capability, buffers). Demonstrate how you would guide a client to acknowledge ambivalence and make a decision to live, or refer them to inpatient care if needed. Remember that you are the creator of this scenario and if your client is not contemplating suicide or violence then you are not able to demonstrate how you would help somebody in that situation. So make them be suicidal or violent so your skills can shine.
- The paper should be no longer than 8 pages double-spaced. You do not need to use APA format.
- You may use first-person (I, me, etc.).
- Please do not submit a Crisis Contact Note and/or risk assessment form. I want you to explain everything in your paper rather than just showing me how you would document it.
- You should write this in a narrative format. This is not like how you would document a session at your job or internshipuse full sentences and do not use abbreviations. Proofread your work carefully for spelling and grammatical errors.
*****See attached grading rubric to see what needs to be included to get the max points*****
Suggested Outline
You don’t have to follow this outline, but doing so will ensure you don’t miss any of the required components. I also strongly encourage you to review the rubric I’ve uploaded below.
- Introduction
- Brief description of the client and setting. Who is the client and how did they come into contact with you?
- A: Develop & Maintain Rapport
- What attending skills would you use to convey to the client that you are listening?
- Describe how you would use reflection of feelings, restatements, and summaries. Provide specific quotations.
- You should note any considerations indicated for the special crisis type and special population.
- B: Identify & Explore the Problem
- Identify each component of the client’s current crisis. Give examples of the types of questions you would use to collect this information and provide specific quotations.
- Precipitating event
- Hazardous atmosphere
- Clients perception of the precipitating event
- Emotional distress
- Decrease in functioning
- You should note any considerations indicated for the special crisis type and special population.
- Continue explaining how you would maintain rapport through this phase.
- Include examples of the following strategies for therapeutic interaction:
- Validation statements
- Educational statements
- Empowering statements
- Reframing statements
- Suicide and/or violence assessment
- Describe what types of questions you would ask to assess the client’s desire, intent, capability, and buffers.
- Explain what lethality risk level you assessed for the client and how you determined this risk
- Describe the reasons to live and reasons to die that you identified and give specific quotes of your conversation with the client regarding ambivalence and a decision to live.
- Identify each component of the client’s current crisis. Give examples of the types of questions you would use to collect this information and provide specific quotations.
- C: Coping
- Explore what coping techniques have worked for the client in the past, including maladaptive coping
- Explore what new strategies the client might be willing to try doing to cope at this time
- Describe how you would explore the clients resources for social support
- What suggestions would you give the client for coping? Address both self-care and referrals (if appropriate).
- You should note any considerations indicated for the special crisis type and special population. For example, for intimate partner violence, you may discuss how couples counseling is not recommended but individual counseling and safety planning is.
- Plan of action and follow-up
- What has the client agreed to do to manage their crisis? The Plan of Action should be as detailed as possible and driven by the client.
- What will you do to follow up with the client?
- Conclusion (short summary)
