This is a recording of the webinar held on December 13, 2022; the webinar explores the unique issues facing those doing in-person crisis intervention and first responder work. Practical information and tools will are shared to offer support to people in these roles.
Providing mobile outreach crisis intervention and evaluation services for people in a behavioral health crisis takes immense skill and is a 24/7 job. The launching of the National 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline heightened the need for staff and leadership who have this complex expertise. Workers respond to complex crisis situations, conduct face-to face assessments and make determination decisions, utilizing standardized and advanced risk and assessment skills. They sometimes triage to divert from emergency services if possible and alternatives exist. Staff develop stabilization and safety plans in collaboration with the person receiving care. Supervisors of staff and teams provide feedback, ensure exceptional clinical services and effective, efficient program operations and consultation. Workers complete documentation and safety planning and possess an in-depth knowledge of community resources including the ability to address tailored needs.
Being a crisis and/or first responder takes a heavy toll. Witnessing crises, suffering and trauma day after day can affect their well-being. These roles continued despite a pandemic that is transitioning to an endemic. Job vacancies, insufficient resources, organizational culture and inadequate training can make a difficult role feel impossible. Professional distance and self-care can suffer when the crises keep happening, meanwhile working in a climate unsupportive of staff wellness and needing everyone to work extra shifts.
This presentation covered topics related to the establishment and maintenance of healthy boundaries between yourself and the work, strategies for engaging active coping skills that don’t feel like more on your “to do list,” and the various stress response systems, including how to recognize and engage effective coping based on how your brain and body are responding to the stress of the work.
Goals:
Develop detailed understanding of the ways that you personally may be impacted by the stressors of in-person response work during the transition from pandemic to endemic management of COVID 19
Understand how to create a plan for yourself in order to effectively manage stressors that you may be facing
Begin to establish and maintain clear boundaries for yourself that act to protect you from additional burnout risks
Outline participant needs and priorities for future trainings
Dr. Kira Mauseth is a practicing clinical psychologist who splits her professional time between seeing patients at Snohomish Psychology Associates, teaching as a Senior Instructor at Seattle University and serving as a co-lead for the Behavioral Health Strike Team for the WA State Department of Health. She also serves on the state’s Disaster Medical Advisory Committee (DMAC). Her work and research interests focus on resilience and recovery from trauma as well as well as disaster behavioral health. She has worked abroad extensively in disaster response and with first responders and health care workers throughout United States. Dr. Mauseth also conducts trainings and provides presentations to organizations and educational groups about disaster preparedness and resilience building within local communities.
