MUSIC: IN
NARRATOR: Welcome to the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program, also known
as the CCP.
This video will provide you with tips for working with survivors through all stages
of recovery. We will role play scenarios and provide tips that will improve your active
listening skills and help you assist angry survivors.
All staff, no matter what stage of the CCP you are in, can benefit from the information,
tips, and resources in this video.
You can use the techniques and suggestions in the video anytime you want to improve or
refresh your communication skills. The video can be accessed on your mobile device while
you are providing outreach or even after the program has ended and you want to brush up
on your interpersonal communication skills. You may want to bookmark this webpage for
easy access.
Active listening is a skill that is used during counseling sessions to help gather information
from the participant. It relies on several techniques that can be practiced and help
you during interactions with survivors. Some tips you may use include the following.
Use open-ended questions. Restate survivor responses to clarify the meaning. Use encouraging words.
Show interest and engagement in the conversation through non-verbal cues. Summarize your encounter.
Next, we'll demonstrate active listening techniques through a role play portrayal.
Let's join Bill and Emily who are in the middle of an encounter with a survivor.
EMILY: We've been visiting with people in your neighborhood to talk about how they are
doing after the wildfires that happened a few months ago and to make sure that they're
getting the help they need to recover. JEAN: Well, this neighborhood could really
use help. My family was forced to evacuate, it really upset my son. He says he's doing okay,
but I think he was very scared when we had to leave.
EMILY: We have talked to many of your neighbors about their experiences and have worked
to get several the help they need. I'm sorry to hear that you had evacuate your home and
that it upset your son. What makes you think he's not okay?
JEAN: Well, he has been a little quieter lately and complains about going to school.
EMILY: Uh huh. . . JEAN: He also hasn't been hanging out with
his friends as much as usual. EMILY: I understand that must be hard to see.
Does he talk about the wildfires and evacuating?
JEAN: I try not to talk to him about that.
EMILY: I know it might seem like shielding him from the memories is the right way to
go, but maybe you could bring up what happened and ask him how he is feeling about things. It
might be good for him to get those feelings out and talk to you about what happened.
JEAN: I could try that.
NARRATOR: You may have noticed that Emily used a number
of active listening techniques throughout the encounter. Can you pick out a few?
During the encounter, Emily restated what Jean said to make sure that she clearly understood
the situation. She used phrases like "Uh huh" and "I understand" to prompt Jean to continue
speaking. She also raised open-ended questions and used non-verbal cues such as smiling,
leaning in, and nodding to encourage Jean to talk.
Let's continue our encounter with Jean.
BILL: Now that we have a plan for helping your son, let's talk about anything you may
need. How are you doing?
JEAN: Well if I'm going to be honest, I'm getting fed up with a lot of stuff. It's taking
a really long time to get someone to call me back about my roof repair,
and it still takes forever to get around.
BILL: I understand how frustrating that can be.
JEAN: No, you don't understand! You don't live here!
BILL: I hear what you're saying and I've heard the same thing from other people. It
can be very difficult waiting for resources to become available.
JEAN: The roof repairman can't get here for 2 more weeks and that's just to give me an
estimate, that's not even to start the repairs. I need to take time off work to meet him, and it takes
forever to get around because of all the road closures. That's time off I just don't have!
It just seems like no one is doing anything to help!
BILL: I can understand that it feels that way when you are right in that middle of things.
How about talking to other people who are going through the same thing?
JEAN: I just need to get my house fixed!
BILL: If you want, I can give you the names of a few places to check out for home repair.
Our team keeps a list of local resources that may be helpful to survivors. We also have
a group that meets in the elementary school down the street every Wednesday evening at
8 p.m. We talk about different issues that are affecting the neighborhood and people share
updates and resources on the recovery process. Maybe one of your neighbors could share a good contractor.
Sometimes talking and sharing tips with other people who are dealing with
the same problems can be really helpful.
JEAN: Thank you, that probably would be helpful.
NARRATOR: As you may have noticed, Jean got very upset and angry as she and Bill started to discuss
the recovery process. This may be a survivor reaction that you will come across in your
work with the CCP. Here are a few tips to keep in mind. Practice restraint. Acknowledge
their feelings. Do not react. Stay neutral. Be understanding but don't be negative and
join in complaining about how long recovery takes. While it seems helpful to commiserate
with individuals, it may actually complicate the relationship and get in the way of recovery.
It takes patience and a calm manner to talk to someone who is very upset. Practicing self-care,
such as breathing exercises, can help you remain focused and calm when you experience
a difficult encounter. Remembering and practicing these tips can help. There also may be times
where the survivor is too angry for crisis counseling to be effective or safe. In those
situations, you may need to leave and possibly return at another time.
Thank you for taking the time to view this video. We hope that you found the information
and tips helpful. Please contact the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center at 1-800-308-3515
for any technical assistance needs.