To prepare for this Discussion:

Review Chapter 2 in your course text, Crisis Intervention Strategies, paying particular attention to multicultural perspectives and considerations

Review the article, "Psychological Assessment of Children in Disasters and Emergencies," and focus on the special issues related to assessing the needs of children and adolescents after a crisis. Also concentrate on the different psychological assessment tools that are appropriate for use with this population after a crisis.

Review the article, "Natural Disasters that Reveal Cracks in Our Social Foundation." Think about the ways in which a break down in services and communication can be avoided for the elderly population during crises like the 2003 France heat wave.

Review the article, "The Transformation of Traditional Mental Health Service Delivery in Multicultural Society in California, USA That Can Be Replicated Globally," paying particular attention to the necessity of mental health services as a top priority during crises.

Review the article, "Vulnerable Populations in an American Red Cross Shelter After Hurricane Katrina," and think about the ways in which the ‘Model of Vulnerable Populations' helps address crises wherein people suffer from multiple losses in their communities.

Also think about appropriate mental health obligations that should be taken into consideration when working with vulnerable populations during and after a crisis.

Review the article, "Responding to Student or Teacher Death: Preplanning Crisis Intervention," and focus on the importance of communicating with parents and students, as well as fostering a grieving process that facilitates healing after a student or teacher death.

Reflect on your Application Assignment from this week and think about the alternative communication systems and strategies that can be used when assisting individuals who have experienced a crisis.

Also think about the ways in which to reach and communicate with vulnerable populations in these same situations(Whether a crisis or disaster is natural or man-made, effective communication strategies are needed no matter where it occurs. A great deal was learned about communication issues in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

After this disaster, thousands of residents in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana were without roads, electricity, or cell phone towers. Because of this, creative means of communication, both inside and outside the region, were needed. Agencies with satellite phones had no difficulty, but for most survivors this was not a possibility-it was difficult to make phone calls both outside and inside the region. One means of communicating, however, was successful for many-text messaging.

But, of course, this required a digital phone with texting capability, which not all had access to. In order to reach survivors who did not have this capability, four-wheel drive vehicles or trucks were necessary because roads and bridges were destroyed. Transportation became a significant element for communication.

Other less intense crises present communication issues as well. All crises involve an organizational plan that outlines how to communicate decisions and how to respond to the crisis. Media is almost always present, and they require communication that is rapid and accurate. Coombs (Crandall, Parnell, and Spillan, 2010) identifies uses of communication strategies for the various stages and types of disasters.)

Choose one alternative communication system/strategy and one strategy for communicating with and reaching vulnerable populations that you described in your Application Assignment from this week.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post a(200 word APA format) brief description of the alternative communication system/strategy that you chose and one example of how it was used during/after a crisis. Then provide a brief description of the strategy for reaching and communicating with vulnerable populations that you chose and one example of how it was effectively used during/after a crisis.

Course Text: James, R. K. & Gilliland, B.E. (2017). Crisis intervention strategies (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning

Chapter 2, "Culturally Effective Helping in Crisis" (for review)