Special Populations

Most crisis intervention programs will serve a highly diverse population.  It is important for crisis responders to maintain a high level of expertise in working with people of different ages, educational backgrounds, races, cultures, socio-economic groups, as well as persons with co-occurring disorders of mental illness and chemical dependency. 

While it may not be possible for crisis responders to be “experts” in each area and be able to  meet all the potential special needs of each recipient, it is essential that these special needs be identified by the crisis responder and appropriate consultations or referrals be made to meet these special needs.

Competency may be addressed by special training for crisis responders. Competency trainings should be reviewed on a yearly basis so crisis responders will have access to current information.