After being in a high school for 3 years I decided to go back to school and get a degree in Mental Health Counseling. So many students were coming in to my office at that time with mental health issues that I felt that I needed more tools in my pocket.
Staying calm was number 1 giving students a five min break where they can sit, a five min walk, and five min of listening to music, reading or watching an appropriate video. This re sets your brain a bit at least enough to listen to perspective and move forward. Processing events can only happen when everyone is available so helping a student in the midst of a crisis to calm in the storm seems to work relatively well.
Some interventions to apply during a mental health crisis include
Verbal de-escalation
Reality re-orientation
Offer change of environment/quiet time
Proper application of Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) - Nonviolent Crisis intervention
Keep calm and show support. Use open ended responses to engage the person in conversation which allows the individual to express themselves. Lastly, offer some community services to ensure the individual continues to get the help that they need.
What you already do is very helpful. You might try some breathing exercises and just listening is what most people need. 99% of the people that get admitted to my inpatient facility do not sleep or do not sleep well. You cannot cope if you don’t get adequate rest. This world never stops and is so overwhelming. Being calm, deep breathing, calming music and listening are my go to’s. Thank you for all you do each and every day. What you do makes a huge difference to the people who get to interact with you.
When working inpatient, the unit on which I was working as the evening nurse, had a “ mini” riot. The staff and I recognized early the rising tension and the increasing whispers among the adolescent pt.’s, and we were able, for the most part, to contain and confine the incident.
We employed the skills of
Observation
Recognized non-verbals cues
Remaining calm and being assertively directive
Positively rewarded those that didn’t escalate and get involved.
Debriefed after the incident using active listening skills,
Talk calmly and provide a quiet space for them to express themselves. Remove any sharp objects
A brief synopsis answer:
First and foremost is verbal de-escalation. When that does not work, or other interventions and a patient is volatile and an imminent danger to himself or others, then physical intervention becomes necessary.
Detailed and timely documentation from the beginning of the crisis and antecedent to the end must be carried out.
After the crisis snd the patient is calm, s/he should be approached gently as to what happened and how staff may help make it better next time.
Explore what causes the crisis , you may start from there ,Follow the ITP if there’s any that have been noted that were effective, verbal communications somewhat essential , I usually use low tone of voice,asking client how can we help him/ her solve the crisis
Try dimming the lights foe miu.
5
Soft voice, distraction, positive talk
Know what your school laws are. Check out your states Dept of Education website to see what information and resources they provide.Take a CPI class. And most importantly have the student see the school counselor or psychologist.
https://www.crisisprevention.com/Industries/Education-Profess...
School staff should be trained on the school’s emergency and crisis prevention procedures, deescalation to help avoid crises, and debriefing procedures. School staff should receive training and demonstrate competence in the following areas: the early warning signs of mental illness and effective crisis intervention for students with mental illnesses; positive behavioral supports and interventions; communicative intent of behaviors; relationship building; alternatives to restrictive procedures; identifying events and environmental factors that may escalate behavior; de-escalation methods; obtaining emergency medical assistance; the physiological and psychological impact of restraints and seclusion; and the skills that students need to better regulate and manage their behaviors.
