Crisis Plans: Making Choices for Difficult Times

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Crisis Plans Making Choices for Difficult Times

• Assertive Community Treatment
• Community Support Team
• Team Leader Meeting
• 7/21/2008

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Objectives for Todays Call

• Participants will learn a person-centered,
  recovery-focused definition of a crisis
• Participants will learn what a crisis plan is
• Participants will learn the benefits of
  supporting the creation of individualized crisis
  plans
• Participants will learn tips for engaging
  individuals in creating their own crisis plans
• Participants will learn examples of things
  persons can put in an individual crisis plan

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Objectives for Todays Call

• Participants will learn how crisis plans are
  different from Psychiatric Advance Directives and
  WRAP
• Participants will learn how persons decide with
  whom to share their crisis plan
• Participants will learn how they can find more
  information about crisis plans, Psychiatric
  Advance Directives, and WRAP
• Participants will have an opportunity to ask
  questions regarding these topics

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Guidelines for Todays Call

• All Speakers Will Use Person-First Language
• All Acronyms Will Be Spelled Out and Defined
• Diverse Experiences Will Be Heard and Validated

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Meet the Presenters

• Joe Ferguson, Peer and Family Support Specialist
• Illinois Mental Health Collaborative for Access
  and Choice
• Mary E. Jensen, Region 2 Recovery Support
  Specialist
• DHS/Division of Mental Health
• Dan Wilson, Peer and Family Support Specialist
• Illinois Mental Health Collaborative for Access
  and Choice

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What is a Crisis?

• A crisis is a short period of time when a person
  may not be able to take action on their decisions
  due to a challenge beyond their control.
• Having support from people they choose and a plan
  that they design can help individuals to prevent,
  prepare for, and overcome a crisis.

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What is a Crisis Plan?

• A Crisis Plan is a communication tool that
• Is created by individuals with the help of
  persons they choose
• - Tells others what their mental health crisis
  might look like
• - Tells others how they want to be treated if
  they have a mental health crisis

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Why Create A Crisis Plan?

• Because every person has different needs and
  deserves to be treated as an individual
• Because only the individual can write a crisis
  plan that works for them
• Because if persons are unable to act on decisions
  they would make when they are well, their crisis
  plan will help supporters to know how they want
  to be treated

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Why Create A Crisis Plan?

• Because it is wise to prepare for a crisis ahead
  of time so persons have support and a plan if
  they ever need them
• Sometimes knowing that a person has this support
  and a plan can help them prevent a crisis from
  occurring

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Who Should Create a Crisis Plan?

• Any person with an important challenge in their
  life, such as a mental health challenge, who
  wants to make choices about how they are treated
  in a crisis
• Persons who participate in Community Support Team
  (CST)
• Persons who participate in Assertive Community
  Treatment (ACT)

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When is the Best Time to Write A Crisis Plan?

• When a person is feeling well
• When a person is relaxed
• When a person has time to focus

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What Kinds of Things Might Be Included In A
Crisis Plan?

• Who is to be involved in crisis care and how to
  reach them
• What has worked and what has not worked in the
  past
• Preferences about specific treatments, such as
  medications, Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT),
  seclusion and restraint

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What Kinds of Things Might Be Included In A
Crisis Plan? (Continued)

• What needs to be taken care of at home while in a
  crisis, for example
• Mail
• Bills
• Family
• Pet care
• And more

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What Kinds of Things Might Be Included In A
Crisis Plan? (Continued)

• How designated supporters during a crisis will
  know when a person is no longer in a crisis, for
  example
• The Crisis Plan states what they look like
• The Crisis Plan states what they sound like
• The Crisis Plan states what they are able to do
  when the crisis is over

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How Can I Help a Person Decide Who To Share A
Crisis Plan With?

• Individuals may think about persons they trust
  who can be there for them in difficult times and
  ask their permission to involve them. This may
  include
• Close friends
• Family members
• Mental health center staff
• Their doctor

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How Can my Team Engage Persons in Creating
Individualized Crisis Plans?

• Creating a crisis plan does not mean that a
  crisis will occur
• A person does not need to believe they have a
  mental illness to create a crisis plan
• Using person centered language and principles
• Starting with the individuals strengths
• Explaining that a crisis is a setback on the road
  to recovery can motivate the process

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How Can my Team Engage Persons in Creating
Individualized Crisis Plans?

• Crisis plans are organic documents that can be
  updated by the individual when they choose
• Express patience. Crisis plans can take a lot of
  time and thought.
• Active listening and affirmation
• Being respectful of the persons desire to keep
  some information private
• If the individual chooses not to participate in
  the creation of their crisis plan, the staff
  person should notate this on the plan.

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How is a Crisis Plan Different From a Wellness
Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)?

• A WRAP contains much more than a crisis plan
• Wellness Toolbox
• Daily Maintenance Plan
• Triggers, and an Action Plan
• Early Warning Signs, and an Action Plan
• Signs that Things are Getting Worse, and an
  Action Plan
• Crisis Plan
• Post-Crisis Plan

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How is a Crisis Plan Different from a Psychiatric
Advance Directive?

• A Psychiatric Advance Directive is
• A legal document
• Created when the person is well
• Signed by a psychiatrist

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How Can I Learn More About Crisis Plans?

• You can learn more about crisis plans from
• www.MentalHealthRecovery.com/RecoveryCrisisPlannin
  g.php
• People who lead Wellness Recovery Action Plan
  (WRAP) classes
• DHS/DMH Recovery Support Specialists
• The ACT/CST Authorization Manual

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Guidelines for Todays Question and Answer

• All Speakers Will Use Person-First Language
• All Acronyms Will Be Spelled Out and Defined
• Diverse Experiences Will Be Heard and Validated
• Stay on Todays Topic in the Interest of Time
• Limit to One Question per Person, then Pass to
  the Next Person
• Saying Thank You Indicates You Are Finished
  With Your Question

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Thank You!

• Written Questions Can Be Sent To
• Bryce Goff, Director of Recovery and Resilience,
• Illinois Mental Health Collaborative for
  Access and Choice
• E-mail Bryce.Goff_at_valueoptions.com
• FAX [phone]
• Nanette Larson, Director of Recovery Support
  Services, DHS/Division of Mental Health
• E-mail Nanette.Larson_at_illinois.gov
• FAX [phone]