#173 Ethics, Loss, and Special Challenges
Common Grief Reactions in Specific Crisis Scenarios
When someone experiences a job loss it may be a personal crisis. In that sort of situation reactions like anger or sadness are common. Schneider’s Growth Model offers an interesting take on how someone may work through a crisis. Scheinder lays out eight steps in the crisis (James and Gilliland 2017) leading towards growth. In the case of job loss those steps may look like (1) realizing the loss, that they lost their job. (2-3) avoidance of the issue. (4) they start processing the job loss. (5) they reflect on the loss and are okay with not having the job any more. (6) they let go of the job and can now do other activities. (7-8) At this point they reflect on the loss and consider what they can do better at their next job.
Recommended Safety Precautions for Crisis Workers
Because of the risk of a burnout, crisis workers need to maintain the proper level of detachment when they visit homes (James and Gilliland 2017). They must be aware of the risks of the visit for themselves and for those they wish to help as the visits may be stressful for everyone involved.
Duty to Warn: Legal and Ethical Considerations
Duty to warn speaks to the duty of certain individuals to warn others of the limits in their relationships. For example when a pastor counsels an individual they may be required to share that if the person threatens harm to themselves or others they have to report that to authorities. Generally it is a good practice “to convey very clearly what you can and cannot hold in confidence and to apprise the client of this before intervention is started” (James and Gilliland 2017). When I do pastoral premarital counseling I let the clients know that I do not share anything about them with others except potentially with my wife and the pastors that oversee my ministry. And of course if they mention harming themselves or others. I have found that this helps to build trust in the relationship from the outset and set expectations. In California there is no duty to warn but there is a duty to protect. Which practically is the same thing as a duty to protect but gives the counselor more flexibility in how they carry out the duty.
Stages of Burnout and Strategies for Prevention
Burnout is “experienced as a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion caused by long-term involvement in emotionally demanding situations” (James and Gilliland 2017). The symptoms of burnout can cover a wide wide range of issues from feelings of helplessness, negative attitudes toward work, and depletion. While there are many practical steps to be taken when feelings of being burned out occur, the main step for the christian is to do what Jesus says in Matthew 11:28 (NASB) “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
References
Richard K. James and Burl E. Gilliland, Crisis Intervention Strategies, 8th ed. (Boston: Cengage Learning, 2017)
No Duty to Warn in California: Now Unambiguously Solely a Duty to Protect" Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 42, no. 1 (2014): 101–8, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24618525/.
