Assignment:
Project Objectives
To successfully complete this project, you will be expected to:
• Complete the Triage Assessment Form appropriately for the selected case, including all three domains, with clinical descriptions to guide the course of treatment by evaluating the domain ratings with a logical and articulate rationale of key elements of the crisis, disaster, or trauma-causing events, including the nature of the crisis and associated risks, and client and counselor safety.
• Summarize diagnostic skills and techniques that can be used to screen for addiction, aggression, and danger to self and others, as you note these risks in your client.
• Note a co-occurring mental disorder (such as substance abuse or depression), which may become apparent during a crisis, disaster, or other trauma-causing event that ties in with your assessment during the client's crisis.
• Differentiate characteristics of crisis states versus developmentally appropriate reactions to life obstacles and crisis assessment and intervention strategies for diverse populations.
• Exhibit proficiency in effective, credible academic writing, and critical thinking skills.
Note: A template for your APA formatted paper is included in the assignment Resources. Please use the template to present the assignment criteria in an organized way. The headings guide you to the criteria, and the details that are included describe what is necessary to complete the assignment to a Distinguished degree.
Cases
Ariadne
Ariadne, a 17-year-old Hispanic female, ran away from home. The police returned her to her home, but within a week Ariadne had attempted suicide by taking her father's prescription medication for high blood pressure. Ariadne had been showing signs of depression and was seen for mental health counseling a year previously for eight sessions. After receiving counseling, Ariadne stated that she felt unuseful at home and unwelcome at school. Feelings of worthlessness and anger arose periodically when her parents tried to engage her about school events. Ariadne had several close friends and one young man she called her "beau," though she claimed there was no serious intimacy between them. She refused to return to counseling sessions, saying that the time was better spent talking with her friends. She complained that her parents were too strict with curfew times and asked too many questions. In the past week, Ariadne was discovered to skip school two days and refused to tell her parents where she had been. Ariadne's mother found a bottle of pills and a bottle of vodka in her room.
Jordan
Jordan arrives at counseling saying that her husband, Jake, left the house earlier that day in an agitated mood and with his rifle, and tearfully discloses concerns about her safety and his. She states that her friend, who has been worried about her for some time, insisted that she see a counselor. Jordan says she was surprised at Jake's abrupt departure because she was unaware of any plans he had to go hunting, and if he was not going hunting, why he would take his gun out. She recalls that she and Jake had fought the previous night over his drinking. Jordan reports that she asked Jake to stop drinking so much, and in response, he threatened her and slammed a few doors. She recalls that Jake said he liked being a little drunk and pushed her back against the kitchen counter at one point. When Jake went back into a spare bedroom to sleep that night, Jordan found numerous beer bottles in the den and a large empty whiskey bottle in front of his truck. Jordan states that it was not unusual for Jake to put his rifle in his truck when he planned to go hunting, but when he had done so today, he had still been quite angry about her accusation that he was drinking too much. After he left, Jordan reports that she began shaking. She felt fear for her own safety, so she called her friend who insisted that she speak to a counselor. While Jordan was on her way to counseling, her husband called her. He seemed calm, asked about her day, and said nothing about the previous night or his abrupt departure. Jordan states that this switch in mood from extreme aggression to a pleasant tone "seems weird." Jordan asks for help in dealing with her husband's odd behaviors. She fears for her own safety and the safety of her husband, but is unwilling to call the police. As she speaks, she is agitated and continually looks over at the doorway, as though expecting it to burst open.