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What Is Crisis Intervention?

teenage girl staringand wondering what is crisis intervention

Adolescents and teenagers deal with a lot on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes new experiences, challenges, or traumatic life events can lead them to experience a crisis. As a parent, it can be challenging to help your teenager when everything you do is met with anger, hysteria, or a complete communication shutdown. A teen crisis intervention program may be necessary if your child is going through this type of intensely stressful experience.

If your teen is behaving erratically and may be a danger to themselves, professional treatment is necessary to help your child navigate their emotions and thoughts. A crisis intervention program can keep a teen from taking drastic actions that may have serious consequences. The effects of a crisis can be both psychological and physical. Our compassionate mental health professionals at Imagine Boise are ready to listen to your teen and help them deal with the crisis. If you want to learn more about our mental health treatment programs for your teen and your family, contact us at 888.597.2807.

What Is Crisis Intervention?

Crisis intervention is the immediate emergency response to the severe distress that a teen can experience when they go through a crisis. This type of mental health treatment is meant to stabilize the patient and provide them with the support and resources necessary to get through a crisis.

One of the main challenges of crisis intervention is actually identifying that the teen is going through a crisis. Seeking professional help early on is crucial to preventing the long-term trauma and health consequences associated with an untreated crisis. Each teen is unique and may experience different symptoms of different intensities, but some of the common symptoms of a crisis include:

  • Substance use
  • Poor performance in school
  • Severe and sudden mood swings
  • Withdrawing from social life
  • Sudden changes in weight, sleep schedule, and appetite
  • Self-harm or suicidal thoughts
  • Depression and anxiety

While many of these may suddenly seem to appear out of the blue, some can gradually grow from minor issues into major, life-altering problems. In many cases, brief periods of normalcy can happen, leading the parents to think that the problem has resolved itself. In reality, this brief respite is simply a part of a cycle that worsens the more it repeats.

How Can Teen Crisis Intervention Help?

A crisis intervention program for teens can give your child better strategies and techniques to cope with the intense emotions that they experience during a crisis. A therapist will first assess the patient and determine the type of crisis they are experiencing. From there, a treatment program will be created to help the patient:

  • Have better control over their emotions and resist the urge to self-harm
  • Continue to look toward the future and their own potential
  • Address self-destructive and non-productive behaviors that contribute to the crisis
  • Develop positive coping skills they can use in the future

Find a Teen Crisis Intervention Program at Imagine Boise

Our mental health treatment center in Boise, Idaho, specializes in helping teens aged 12 to 17. We have comprehensive treatment programs for crisis intervention as well as other types of mental health disorders. Our compassionate and professional team members are well-versed in a variety of therapies, offering a holistic approach to mental health treatment:

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Individual and family counseling
  • Mental health counseling and intervention
  • Dialectical behavior therapy
  • Group therapy

You and your teen don’t have to tackle a crisis alone. Our intake specialists are standing by to help you get the support you need to get past this difficult time. If you would like to know more about our crisis intervention program and other mental health treatments, you can call us today at 888.597.2807.