The community has the capacity. Community front-line staff and natural care givers are often required to respond to community crises without the necessary training, confidence and support. A promising model of crisis response being embraced by some communities is an integration of professional and non-professional services in a Community Response Team. Community Response Teams may be made up of human service workers, first responders, community leaders, and natural care givers. They can respond to individuals in crisis (i.e., struggling with emotional distress) and respond to critical incidents (i.e., tragedies) within the community.
Community Response Teams develop the community’s capacity to identify and respond to their own critical incidents in an integrated fashion. This model is true community-based mobilization—empowering each community to respond to its own issues.
The workshop series offers a culturally sensitive introduction to the knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to develop and sustain Community Response Teams, and for community-based crisis intervention/suicide prevention.
- Each participant receives a comprehensive handbook.
Training For Administrators (2-3 Days): (Described in 3-hour Segments)
The “Opening the Circle” and “In Case of Emergency” workshops (3 days in total) are designed for community program administrators/leaders. It is recommended that they take place before the training for the Team members, as it outlines how to select, recruit, and support future Team members and how to work with a community to ensure the Team is embraced by the decision makers and community members so the Team is sustainable.
OPENING THE CIRCLE
(1) Wellness and the Community Response Team
(2) Engaging the Community to Develop a Team
(3) Developing the Team
(4) Sustaining the Team and Immediate planning
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
(5) Critical Incident Response & Suicide Postvention Protocol Development
(6) Critical Incident Response Team Delegation and Development
Training For Team Members (10 Days): (Described in 3-hour Segments)
THE COMMUNITY IS THE MEDICINE: WELLNESS & PREVENTION
(1) Traditional Values & the Impact of Colonization
(2) Reclaiming Cultural Wellness & a Worthwhile Life
(3) Self-Worth and Wellness
(4) Balance and Boundaries as a Helper
(5) The Validation-Invitation 2-Step
(6) The Community is the Medicine
REACHING OUT: CRISIS INTERVENTION
(7) Understanding and Responding to Distress
(8) Understanding and Responding to Anger and Rage
THROUGH THE PAIN TO WELLNESS: SUICIDE INTEVENTION
(9) Understanding and Recognizing Suicide Risk
(10) Responding to Suicide Risk Part 1: Ask (Risk Assessment)
(11) Responding to Suicide Risk Part 2: Listen and Help (Pt. 1)
(12) Responding to Suicide Risk Part 3: Help (Pt. 2)
(13) Postvention (After a Suicide Death)
WOUND TO WELLNESS: GRIEF & TRAUMA HEALING
(14) Understanding Grief and Trauma
(15) Understanding Community and Complex Trauma
(16) Responding to Trauma
(17) Four Paths of Healing Part 1
(18) Four Paths of Healing Part 2
(19) Four paths of Grieving
(20) Self-Care