Life Space Crisis Intervention - Essay Example

A Critical Review in the Contemporary Themes in Youth Work Practice, Thematic Area Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Description This paper is a critical review of an article based on Youth work practice and Mental Health of young people. The article is entitled: Life Space Crisis Intervention: new skills for reclaiming students showing patterns of self-defeating behavior. The article was reprinted from the Healing Magazine, Volume Three, No. 2 and is written by Nicholas J. Long, Ph. D, who is the director of the Life Space Crisis Institute at 228 Landis Road, Hagerstown, MD 21740. The other authors are Frank A. Fecser, Ph.D., LLPC, who is the executive director of the Positive Education Program (PEP) and Larry K. Brendtro, Ph.D, the President of Reclaiming Youth International. Understanding The main message of the article is that a crisis should be perceived as a unique opportunity that can help a student or a young person come to grips or understand an important life problem. As opposed to a glass half empty, successful management of a crisis requires looking at it as a glass half filled with water. This understanding is critical in successfully managing the crisis, therefore illuminating the pattern of self-defeating behavior of the student and providing strength-based skills. In this regard, LSCI is presented as an advanced and effective strategy of this paradigm to help promote understanding and change (Perry & Hambrick, 2008, pg. 34). In my opinion, the authors stress upon focusing upon the LSCI as opposed to other traditional approaches used to help troubled youth. Traditional approaches, or alternatives to the LSCI method, are explained and presented as reactive in nature and ineffective for solving youth problems. The LSCI, on the other hand, seeks to focus on understanding the facts and causes of counterproductive conflict styles. Critical Thinking In support of the theories and principles presented by the authors is my own experience as well as broader research and reading on the subject. Several experts and scholars on the issue of ways of reclaiming young people who show patterns of self-defeating behavior are in favor of the LSCI approach as opposed to conventional approaches, which are seen as reactive. My evaluation of what the authors presented in this article is that it is exactly right and effective in especially the present-day challenging environments for youth growth and development. One of the major reasons why I am in support of the theories presented by the authors is with regard to the interventions for various patterns of self-defeating behavior common among young people and children. The LSCI process has been broken down into six stages that present diagnostic skills used to understand the crisis and reclaiming skills. One of the interventions developed is the Delinquent pride, for example, which deals with students who are aggressive as well as exploitative toward others as they justify their actions and even try to cast themselves in the victim’s role. The authors believe that to deal with this crisis, the staff or adults put in place skills in caring confrontation carefully implemented without modeling disrespect or hostility. Therefore, they are motivated to change by ensuring that they are made uncomfortable with their behavior and that they experience genuine guilt. I am in full support of the reclaiming values presented by the authors in their presentation of the LSCI. My personal experience has also shown that the use of traditional methods of managing crises and behavior of young people and children are not effective. I have experienced an antisocial behavior in the school and the role of educators in solving these problems and reclaiming students involved. I was once involved in a conflict that almost could have escalated to a violent crisis that had the magnitude of posing serious danger to staff members and to ourselves, the students. The behavior management methods used at the time were mainly exclusion and punishment of the alleged students. I remember the students were suspended and later expelled according to the zero-tolerance policies of the institution. Worth noting is that in spite of the punishment and exclusion of the students, this only made the situation worse (Perry, 2006 pg. 54). The adversarial climate that was created as a result precluded safety as well as learning. I am therefore in favor of the LSCI mainly because of its focus on using crises and problems as important opportunities for learning and growth of young people. Researchers argue that when used as a means of early intervention in crises, the LSCI can significantly limit the potential of crises from escalating and even reduce violence in schools. They can also increase academic opportunities for students that are troubled and at-risk. Researchers also argue that the LSCI model can provide a cognitive, behavioral, developmental as well as a psychodynamic paradigm that can assist in the socio-emotional development of troubled students, in the end making them more and more likely to be successful in their educational settings (Perry, & Dobson, 2009; Scholars have also explored the issue of social capability of students, further supporting the LSCI model and its theories in solving student crises. Caine et al, (2005) argues that positive interactions with adults have the capacity of strengthening new as well as healthy neural pathways for students with social problems. The interactions, they argue, improve the way in which these students interact with the world as well as ways in which the students interpret various issues (Brendtro, et al., 2009, pg 92). Improving social capability is bound to lead students to being able to reflect on their behavior and actions and develop empathy for others, especially their peers. As a result, these students develop a positive self-worth being able to lead normal and productive lifestyles. It is such characteristics that improve the chances of successfully completing school by avoiding destructive patters that can lead to school failure and subsequent unemployment or under employment after school life (Kokko & Pulkkinen, 2000, pg 43). Values My personal and professional values have been affirmed and challenged greatly after reading this article and doing further research on the theories involved and ideas presented. My personal values were especially challenged with regard to what I believe in and the steps I have taken in intervening and supporting young people and children (Dobson & Perry, 2010, pg 87). I am now challenged by learning that many students show positive response to support and the intervention of an older or experienced mentor or adult who can help them in avoiding common mistakes or problems. Conclusion A number of questions were raised for me, especially on the role of various child development techniques. One of the major questions raised, for example, is whether the ultimate goal of a program is prevention. I can now deepen my understanding of every approach that I seek to implement this by asking the following question with regard to approach: Is the ultimate goal of the paradigm used prevention, or stopping the problem before it starts or is it reactive to the problem? As a result, I am now going to be actively involved in training programs and workshops from institutions such as childtraumaacademy.com, www.circleofcourageinstitue.org www.starr.org, www.reclaiming.com that can help me gain the skills of framing crises, in a bid to shift from the management of crises to teaching the crisis. These training programs will also help me in understanding the ways through which I can turn crises into learning opportunities. References Baker, P. (2007, February 15 & 16). Conference: Council for Exceptional Children. Brain-based schools. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Brendtro, K.L. et al. ( 2009) Deep Brain Learning, Pathways to Potential with challenging youth, Starr Commonwealth Caine, R., Caine, G., McClintic, C., & Klimek, K. (2005). 12 brain/mind learning principles in action: The fieldbook for making connections, teaching, and the human brain. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Dobson, C. & Perry, B.D. (2010) The role of healthy relational interactions in buffering the impact of childhood trauma in Working with Children to Heal Interpersonal Trauma: The Power of Play (E. Gil, Ed.) The Guilford Press, New York, NY, pp. 26-43 Kokko, K., & Pulkkinen, L. (2000). Aggression in childhood and long-term unemployment in adulthood: A cycle of maladaption and some protective factors. Developmental Psychology, 36(4), 463-472. Perry, B.D. (2006) The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics: Applying principles of neuroscience to clinical work with traumatized and maltreated children In: Working with Traumatized Youth in Child Welfare (Ed. Nancy Boyd Webb), The Guilford Press, New York, NY, pp. 27-52 Perry, B.D. & Dobson, C.D. (2009) Surviving childhood trauma: the role of relationships in prevention of, and recovery from, trauma-related problems. Counselling Children and Young People: Journal of CCYP, a division of British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy, March, 2009 28-31 Perry, B.D. and Hambrick, E. (2008) The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 17 (3) 38-43 Perry, B.D. (2009) Examining child maltreatment through a neurodevelopmental lens: clinical application of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics. Journal of Loss and Trauma 14: 240-255 Websites http://www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cyconline-mar2009-perry.html www.childtraumaacademy.com http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/organizations_resources.htm http://www.calfarley.org/news/Documents/CF-AR_R0424-Web.pdf www.circleofcourageinstitue.org www.starr.org www.reclaiming.com Read More