This study disaggregates and evaluates conventional community psychology as reflected in both the Community Mental Health and Social Action Models. In so doing, it provides evidence in support of its plea for a radical paradigm shift towards ecosystemic theorising in the field of community psycho logy. It further illustrates that an ecosystemic point of departure would have significant implications for the reformulation of conventional notions of community. It concludes by teasing out some alternative praxis related community psychological formulations. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

This study disaggregates and evaluates conventional community psychology as reflected in both the Community Mental Health and Social Action Models. In so doing, it provides evidence in support of its plea for a radical paradigm shift towards ecosystemic theorising in the field of community psycho logy. It further illustrates that an ecosystemic point of departure would have significant implications for the reformulation of conventional notions of community. It concludes by teasing out some alternative praxis related community psychological formulations. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

South Africa is a country steeped in decades of conflict and animosity. Apartheid and its consequences do not simply die: it has created a society struggling for survival. Against the backdrop of a country and its people still experiencing an extended social crisis, these struggles are socially constructed through various forms of aggressive, traumatic and violent behaviours such as crime victimisation. The resultant effect is that many South Africans are traumatised and require assistance to manage and deal with the impact of traumatic exposure. Counselling and psychological services within the South African context are limited, potentially expensive and often inaccessible to the poor. One way to address the needs of victims of crime and violence, is through the establishment of one-stop multidisciplinary crisis centres that specialise in short term crisis intervention service delivery. One such a crisis centre is the Sinoville Crisis Centre (SCC). The purpose of the study is to present an exploratory qualitative and participatory action research account of the SCC's endeavours and ongoing challenges in providing crisis intervention services as well as to serve as a guideline for future development. Research interviews with seven (7) SCC counsellors were complimented with a focus group interview. Subsequent conclusions were grounded in relation to relevant subject theory. Three (3) broad categories of recommendations are provided. Specific recommendations are levelled in relation to: * The SCC's crisis intervention models * The SCC's need to manage organisational change and loss; and * The SCC's role within the Victim Empowerment Programme. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Violence against women is a serious offence. Emotional and physical abuse can happen to our daughters, sisters and wives. Rape is a form of violence against women. It violates a woman's privacy, dignity and it makes her feel as if she has lost control. The criminal justice system is there to protect the citizens of a country and this protection should extend to women when they have been violated. The criminal justice system has different structures, for example the courts, medical services and police services. The staff of the criminal justice process do not have an inherent duty to care about rape survivors but they can be trained to treat survivors with consideration and sympathy to counteract the effects of the rape and secondary victimization experienced by rape survivors. It is important that there are guidelines for the staff of the criminal justice system to assist them in rape cases. This thesis explores whether women experience secondary victimisation during court proceedings. To assess whether it occurs, court transcripts were analysed with a focus placed on the background of the court case and the verdicts of the judges. Findings indicate that secondary victimisation do occur during court cases. Rape survivors feel as if they are on trial and not the rapist. Survivors furthermore believe that they will have to live with the label that they had been raped and humiliated. The thesis recommends that officials of the criminal justice process should receive extensive training, and looks at the Sexual Offences Court in Wynberg as an example of an improved system for rape survivors. It is recommended that the procedures of the Sexual Offences Court should be evaluated on a regular basis to address secondary victimisation problems that may persist. Communication is very important during the rape trial. The rape survivor has to be informed about her case and about the location of the rapist at all times. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geweld teen vroue is 'n ernstige oortreding wat plaasvind in ons samelewing. Emosionele en fisiese geweld kan gebeur met ons dogters, vroue en susters. Hierdie vorm van geweld laat vroue voel asof hulle beheer verloor oor hulle lewens en dit het ook 'n impak op hul self respek en selfbeeld. Die Kriminele Sisteem van Suid Afrika is daar om die belange van sy inwoners te beskerm. Dit het verskillende afdelings byvoorbeeld, die mediese dienste, die polisie en die hof verrigtinge. Die lede van die Kriminele Sisteem werk met verskillende individue wat voel dat die hof die uitweg sal wees wat geregtigheid sal laat geskied. Die lede van die Kriminele Sisteem het nie 'n persoonlike verantwoordelikheid teenoor die verkragtings oorlewendes nie, maar hulle moet sensitiwiteit en empatie betoon teenoor die dames wat verkrag was. Die gedrag van die personeel speel 'n groot rol in terme van hoe die vrou wat verkrag was die aangeleentheid verwerk. Die fokus van die studie is om te kyk of vroue wel sekondêre viktimisering ervaar wanneer hulle besluit om voort te gaan met die hofsake. Hof transkripsies was gebruik om te kyk of vroue wel benadeel word. Daar was gekyk na die uitsprake van die regters sowel as die agtergrond van die hofsaak. Daar was bevind dat sekondêre viktimisering wel plaasvind gedurende die hof verrigtinge. Vroue voel asof hulle verantwoordelik is vir die verkragting wat met hulle gebeur het. Die verkragter word nie gesien as die persoon wat oortree het nie. Hierdie gevoelens van self blamering vorm deel van sekondêre viktimisering wat veroorsaak dat vroue sommige kere voel om nie verder te gaan met die hof saak nie. Die verskillende lede van die Kriminele Sisteem moet gedurig opleiding verkry wat hulle in staat sal stel om die gevoelens van die slagoffers in ag te neem. Die howe wat spesiaal opgerig is om verkragting sake te verhoor moet geevalueer word sodat dit 'n sukses kan wees. Kommunikasie moet bevorder word tussen die verskillende departemente en nie -regerings organisasies wat 'n rol speel gedurende die hof sake.

Thesis (M Social Work (Social Work))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical framework for social workers in children’s homes that may be used for play techniques during social casework intervention with a children’s home child. The influence that the placement in a children’s home has on the child, creates the context for this study. Specific behaviour- and emotional problems that exist within the child were identified and play techniques for the solving of these problems was described. The research was done based on an extensive literature study, which focused on the role and function of a children’s home, the needs, behaviour- and emotional problems of the children’s home child and the usage of a practice framework and play techniques by social workers. A combined qualitative and quantitative research method and an explorative and describing research design have been used in this study, since this combination resulted in reaching the goal of the study. The empirical research investigated the usage of play techniques by social workers during social casework intervention with a children’s home child. The overall sample consisted of the 23 children’s homes in the Cape Metropole where currently 31 social workers are employed. Semistructured questionnaires were used as an interview instrument with an availability test sample consisting of 18 social workers. In light of the findings derived from the literature study and empirical research, appropriate conclusions and related recommendations were made. The main conclusion of the study is that the participants use play techniques randomly and not in conjunction with a practice framework. The main recommendation of this study is that social workers should use play techniques during social casework intervention, based on a specific practice framework in order to assure responsiveness. Continuous education in this regard is the responsibility of each social worker working in a children’s home.

Cette recherche porte sur les pratiques d’intervention des agents de réponse en intervention de crise (RIC), de leur partenaire fixe et des agents en attente de la formation du Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) auprès des personnes en crise ou atteintes de troubles mentaux. Les agents RIC sont des patrouilleurs de première ligne qui ont reçu une formation complète sur les principes d’intervention en contexte de crise ou de santé mentale. Ce modèle de réponse spécialisée est une solution proactive qui a pour but d’améliorer l’action policière en situation de crise et de veiller à une meilleure prise en charge de ces personnes par les ressources institutionnelles. La désinstitutionnalisation des soins et des services psychiatriques a eu pour effet une augmentation du nombre de personnes atteintes de troubles mentaux dans la communauté. Par conséquent, cet accroissement a engendré des rapports plus fréquents entre les services policiers et cette clientèle. Les interventions en contexte de crise ou de santé mentale sont particulières et complexes, de même qu’elles requièrent un niveau supérieur de compréhension des crises humaines. Les autorités policières ont admis que ces interventions représentent une part significative de leur travail et que la formation policière traditionnelle ne les prépare pas suffisamment pour intervenir adéquatement auprès de cette population. En réponse à ces considérations et dans l’objectif d’améliorer leur capacité d’agir, les forces policières se sont dotées de modèles de réponse policière spécialisée en intervention de crise. L’approche la plus répandue est l’équipe d’intervention de crise (« crisis intervention team » ou « CIT »), aussi appelée le modèle de Memphis. Il existe plusieurs variantes de ce modèle, mais les composantes principales, c’est-à-dire la formation avancée et la consolidation d’un partenariat avec le système de santé demeurent dans l’ensemble de ces structures. L’objectif de cette recherche consiste à sonder les perceptions des agents RIC, de leur partenaire fixe et des agents en attente de la formation afin de comprendre et de contraster leurs visions et leurs pratiques d’intervention en contexte de crise ou de santé mentale. Chaque groupe a apporté des précisions intéressantes. Nous avons conduit 12 entrevues qualitatives avec des policiers du SPVM. De façon générale, les participants rapportent que leurs pratiques d’intervention auprès des personnes en crise ou atteintes de troubles mentaux sont davantage ancrées dans une perspective de relation d’aide. Ils mentionnent également que la communication, l’écoute et la confiance doivent être privilégiées avant tout autre stratégie dans les situations qui les permettent et que la force doit être employée seulement lorsqu’elle est nécessaire, c’est-à-dire lorsque leur sécurité ou celle d’autrui est en péril ou lorsque la communication n’est pas possible. Puis, ils admettent que le recours à l’expertise des intervenants en santé mentale permet une analyse plus approfondie de la situation et de l’état mental de la personne visée par l’intervention. D’autre part, en ce qui concerne les limites de la formation policière traditionnelle, les candidats ont soulevé qu’il y a un manque de connaissances en matière de santé mentale ainsi qu’une difficulté associée à l’évaluation de l’état de la personne et du besoin de transport ont été soulevés. Sur le plan des apprentissages, les agents RIC disent avoir une compréhension plus globale de la problématique de santé mentale, de meilleures habiletés communicationnelles, une analyse plus approfondie de la situation, de plus grandes connaissances juridiques, une compréhension du fonctionnement des services hospitaliers ainsi qu’une appréciation particulière pour le partage de savoirs et les principes d’endiguement. Ils font part également de l’importance des rapports pour documenter l’évolution de l’état mental d’une personne et ils ajoutent que la dimension temporelle joue un rôle clé dans la résolution définitive de la problématique. Au sujet des partenaires, ils évoquent des retombées similaires. Toutefois, à la suite de la formation, ils reconnaissent davantage l’importance de leur rôle dans la sécurité de leur partenaire et ils y accordent dorénavant une attention marquée lors de ces interventions. Enfin, les agents non formés formulent des attentes relatives au développement d’outils et de compétences, ce qui leur sera rendu dans la formation RIC. Globalement, les agents RIC et les partenaires interviewés ont modifié leurs pratiques pour les arrimer avec la philosophie des interventions en contexte de crise ou de santé mentale. Ils ont également davantage confiance en leurs capacités et habiletés d’intervention auprès des personnes en crise ou atteintes de troubles mentaux grâce aux connaissances acquises dans la formation. / This research focuses on police responses provided by the RIC officers of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) with people in crisis or suffering from a mental disorder. The RIC agents are frontline patrol officers who have received complete training on the principles of intervention in times of crisis. This specialized response model is a proactive alternative that aims to improve police action in crisis situations and to ensure a better management of this population by the institutional resources. Deinstitutionalization of care and psychiatric services has led to an increased number of people with mental disorders in the community. Therefore, this increase has resulted in more frequent interactions between the police and this type of clientele. Interventions in times of crisis are unique and complex and require a higher level of understanding of human crises. The police have admitted that these interventions represent a significant part of their work and that traditional police training did not prepare them sufficiently to respond appropriately. In response to these considerations and in order to improve their abilities, the police forces equipped themselves with police response models specialized in crisis intervention. The most common approach is the crisis intervention team (CIT), also called the Memphis model. There are several variations of this model, but the main components are advanced training and consolidation of a partnership with the health system which both remain in all of these structures. The objective of this research is to explore the perceptions of the RIC officers, their partner and the officers waiting for training in order to better understand and contrast their visions and practices in a crisis or mental health context. We conducted 12 qualitative interviews with officers from SPVM. Overall, participants report that their interventions with people in crisis or with mental disorders are more rooted in a perspective of counselling. They also mention that communication, listening and trust must be privileged above all other techniques in situations that allow them. Furthermore, force should be used only when needed, that is, when their safety or the safety of others is at risk. They also admit that the participation of mental health workers enables a deeper analysis of the situation or the mental state of the person targeted by the intervention. Secondly, in regards to the limits of traditional police training, the candidates have raised that there is a lack of knowledge in the field of mental health and a difficulty in assessing the mental state of the person as well as the needs for transportation. Thirdly, the RIC officers say that they have a better understanding of mental health issues, enhanced communication skills, a deeper analysis of the situation, a greater legal knowledge, an understanding of the operation of hospital services and a particular appreciation for the sharing of knowledge and the principle of containment. They also expressed the importance of the reports to document the evolution of the mental state of a person and they add that the time dimension plays a key role in the final resolution of the issue. As for the partners, they discuss similar benefits. However, after training, they recognize even more the importance of their role in the security of their partner and therefore, they pay more attention during these interventions. Finally, non-trained agents formulate expectations concerning the development of tools and skills, which will be addressed in their training. Overall, the RIC agents and their partners changed their practices to align them with the philosophy of crisis intervention. They also have more confidence in their abilities and skills to intervene with people in crisis or suffering from mental disorders from the knowledge acquired in training.

This diploma thesis focuses on the topic of women as victims of home violence in crisis intervention. The aim of the theoretical part is to point out basic characteristics typical for an abused woman, with the support of professional literature and further on to be used as the basis for empirical investigations. The theoretical part further aims to show the specifics of social pedagogical work with the victims of home violence by presenting an example from good practice. The empirical part is elaborated in the form of a collective case study, individual cases are described in a casuistic form. The practical part follows three main lines. First aim is to find out whether an image of a woman as a victim of home violence presented in professional literature corresponds with the knowledge from the practice of The Crisis Center in Chrudim. The second examines to what extent it is possible to implement the recommendation from experts in providing crisis intervention to women at risk. The third aim is to answer the question whether it is possible to use the education of victims as an effective tool in social pedagogical work. These aims of the practical part relate to the answering of one main and three partial research questions. The main research question: Does the typical image of an abused woman...

In the United States, post European-colonial influence and exposure to substances such as alcohol historically mark the beginning of substance use exposure and involvement among all American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. Research findings indicate there are strong interrelationships between the origin and prevalence of substance use and U.S.-European colonization, historical trauma, forced assimilation, cultural losses, and relocation among urban AI/AN people (Burt, 1986; Clinton, Chadwick, & Bahr, 1975; Yuan et al., 2010). In an historical sense, the unsuccessful attempts of relocating AI/AN people to urban areas place the future generations of urban AI/AN youth at risk for substance use, health conditions, and health disparities. Nationally, incident rates of substance use among urban AI/AN populations ages 12 and over is rising steadily, two to three folds higher than other ethnicities in urban areas within states such as Florida. The overall objective of this study is to culturally tailor the evidence-based Lowe (2013) Cherokee Talking Circle Intervention for substance use prevention among Cherokee adolescents to that of an Urban Taking Circle Intervention for use among urban AI/AN adolescents in Florida. Therefore, the feasibility of culturally tailoring this substance use intervention among a southeastern urban AI/AN youth was examined and presented within this dissertation. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This thesis deals with the forms of mental hygiene and their application to crisis hotline workers. In the theoretical part the work focuses on the characteristics and specificities of telephonic crisis intervention. Methods of mental hygiene suitable for crisis hotline workers are presented too. The empirical part focuses on mapping of the forms of mental hygiene, which are provided by crisis hotlines to their workers in the Czech Republic. Individual forms of mental hygiene of crisis hotline workers were also mapped. Crisis hotline workers burnout was investigated in the empirical part of the thesis by the means of CBI - Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. It was also confirmed that greater degree of compliance with selected principles of mental hygiene by cisis hotline workers has the relationship with burnout lower incidence. Hypotheses concerning the relationship between sociodemographic data (sex, age, educational attainment, length of praktice, type of employment in the workplace and beyond) and the rate of burnout were not confirmed. The aim of the thesis was to offer possible ways of how to deal with the stress to crisis hotline workers and how they can optimally use the methods of mental hygiene, which can in practice preventively work against burnout.

Critical incidents impact on populations that experience them. Within secondary schools in Aotearoa New Zealand, there is an expectation that a response is made to schools that experience such incidents. There is much conflicting international research as to the efficacy of these responses. The adult experts are making decisions that they believe are in the best possible interests of the young people; they are putting together a quilt that they believe will nurture young people. The expertise and knowledge of a major stakeholder – the young people involved in the critical incident response – has been for the most part, omitted from research. This particular study set out to gather data about young people’s experiences of critical incident responses, so that the quilt being provided has input from this group and so is able to better meet their needs. The study had four major facets. It incorporated reflections on my intrinsic involvement in this field of practice and was, therefore, heuristic. Secondly, qualitative research was utilised to explore with young people their stories about what happened for them at the time of an incident. Thirdly, it incorporated principles of participatory research as an acknowledgement that young people are central stakeholders in secondary schools and that their voice was one that needed to be heard in order that the best responses may be offered. Lastly, it was utilisation focused. It was designed so that the findings were not just written up and filed away but disseminated to those who make decisions at the school level and policy level. At the analysis stage, two major methods were used. Firstly, inductive analysis was used to identify the themes that emerged from the interviews with the young people. Triangulation was then used to consolidate these themes using the input from Collaborative Groups and a systematic review of the knowledge that I have gained over the time that I have been involved with young people in the critical incident response area. This analysis of the contribution from the young people resulted in several areas being highlighted. Firstly, participants asked that those responding to critical incidents considered the use of language and the power of words, Secondly, they believed that schools needed to act proactively and to have a plan and, in association with this, that they develop a culture that better cared for the needs of young people. Thirdly, the young people involved requested that the ‘right’ people responded at the time of an incident: the qualities of the ‘right’ people and the ‘wrong’ people were also identified. Next, the young people were well able to identify the positives that could ensue out of negative situations, and lastly, they expressed their wish that there be a place for their involvement at the time of a critical incident response.