CRISIS CARING

This is a guide to the ministry of crisis counseling for both community and individual settings. Methods and strategies are presented and then demonstrated in vignettes of specific cases to illustrate the methodology. Included are guidelines for assessment, intervention, and referral and a list of additional sources.

Roslyn Karaban, PhD, is a tenured professor of ministry studies at St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry in Rochester, N.Y., where she is also director of field education. She works as a pastoral counselor and as a supervisor and teacher in a training program in hospice chaplaincy.

Chapter 1: What Is a Crisis?
Definitions
Types of Crises
Situational Crises
History of Crisis Theory

Chapter 2: The Unique Role of the Pastoral Minister As Crisis Caregiver
Crisis Ministry As Pastoral Care
Crisis Ministry of the Whole Community
The Unique Role of the Crisis Minister
Crisis Ministry As Theological Affirmations
The Unique Position of the Crisis Minister: Before and During Crisis
The Prophetic Dimension of Crisis Ministry

Chapter 3: Individual and Communal Models and Theories of Crisis Ministry
Three Ways to Lessen Anxiety for the Crisis Minister
A Variety of Individual Models and Strategies
Assessment
Models and Strategies: For Individuals
Models and Strategies: For Family Systems and Communities

Chapter 4: Responding to Crises: Pastoral Qualities, Values, Skills, Principles, and Conditions
Qualities and Values of the Crisis Minister
Skills Necessary for Doing Crisis Ministry
Principles and Conditions for Doing Crisis Ministry

Chapter 5: Crisis and the Community: Teaching, Preaching, Worship, Prayer, and Prophecy
Teaching
Preaching
Worship
Prayer
Prophecy

Part 2: Cases
Chapter 6: Suicide
1. Description of Event
2. Assessment, Analysis, and Response
3. Understanding the Crisis in a Broader Context
4. Theological Reflection and Resources

Chapter 7: Loss and Death
What Actually Happened:
1. Description of Event
2. Assessment, Analysis, and Response
3. Understanding the Crisis in a Broader Context
4. Theological Reflection and Resources
What Might Have Happened (The Young Priest’s Perspective):
1. Description of Event
2. Assessment, Analysis, and Response
3. Understanding the Crisis in a Broader Context
4. Theological Reflection and Resources

Chapter 8: Violence
1. Description of Event
2. Assessment, Analysis, and Response
3. Understanding the Crisis in a Broader Context
4. Theological Reflection and Resources

Chapter 9: Community Crisis
1. Description of Event
2. Assessment, Analysis, and Response
3. Understanding the Crisis in a Broader Context
4. Theological Reflection and Resources

Part 1

Background

What Is a Crisis?

Definitions

Over the years the word crisis has become part of our everyday vocabulary. We often hear—or find ourselves saying—I’m having a crisis; he must be going through a midlife crisis; she’s having a crisis of faith. We use the word as if it is some thing that happens to us, over which we have no control, an unwanted enemy. This is one part of the definition of crisis, but there is much more to this word that warrants our attention as pastoral ministers who are continually called upon to respond to people and communities1 in crisis. Understanding crisis and knowing how to better respond to those experiencing crises are pivotal to ministering in today’s world and church.

The word crisis comes from the Greek word krinein meaning “to decide.” It is defined as a crucial time, a climax, or a juncture and is often depicted by the Chinese symbol that means danger and opportunity. Too often we have thought of and ministered to someone in crisis as if crisis is primarily, if not exclusively a danger, overlooking the opportunity for growth. It is important for us to know more about this complex word.

The most basic definition of crisis is that it is an internal reaction to an external event (Stone 19). This reaction may be experienced by an individual, a family, or a community; early crisis-intervention literature focused almost exclusively on the individual. The external event may be called a crisis event, although the event itself is not what defines a crisis. This is the first and most frequent mistake we make in talking about crisis; we define an event as a crisis, rather than our reaction to the event as the crisis. The same event that happens to different people will be experienced by some as crisis and by others as non-crisis. We experience an event, internally assess the event, and call upon our internal resources and coping mechanisms to respond to the event (ibid.). Only when these usual ways of dealing with things do not work does a crisis reaction develop. It would be helpful, then, to distinguish between a crisis event and a crisis reaction and to understand that the two are not the same.