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Continuing Education Coursework
Crisis Response
Due to budget cuts, grass-roots response to needs, and other factors, community resources for persons in crisis often appear, change, relocate, or disappear. This course is designed to help you keep the list of resources you created as an ADF Priest up-to-date by re-evaluating the information at least once every three years.
It is recommended that ADF Priests check this information yearly, if possible, but the course only needs to be submitted on the normal once-per-three-years schedule
- Revisit and re-describe several suicide warning signs, as well as resources you can direct a person exhibiting these signs to, and the process for doing so.
In the year leading up to my last interaction with this question, I had to deal very directly with suicide signs. Fortunately, that friend has sought help and I have not been as ‘on call’ about his issues as I was. I did become very deeply involved in understanding them, however, at the time as a result of having a close friend of mine attempt suicide on four occasions (as of this writing). The signs are now very familiar to me. In my original essay, I wrote about five specific signs:
- Talking about death or suicide
- Change in personality or behavior
- Recent loss
- Lack of hope for the future
- "Death wish" risk-taking
I covered five additional signs in my last ConEd submission:
- Looking for a way to kill themselves, such as searching online or buying a gun
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Withdrawing or isolating themselves
- Sleeping too little or too much
I’d like to revisit some of these, and also look at new signs, as well, in this submission:
- Looking for a way to kill themselves, such as searching online or buying a gun
I'm revisiting this one, because owning a gun or having a gun in the house increases the risk of suicide immensely. This has been more driven home to me in the past few years, where ideation leads to the manifestation of an attempt because it’s easier to do that than it would have been to have to take the next step and go buy that gun if it’s already in the house. We also seem to have a notion provided by media that gun suicides are “quick and painless,” and rarely do we see what our loved ones have to do to clean them up.
- Access to drugs or alcohol
This is a key item, related to the first: ease of access reduces barriers that someone who is “numb” or “unable to process” might encounter. If they are able to access drugs or alcohol easily, they may find it easier to overindulge with an intent (or maybe not even an overt intent) to end their life “without pain.”
- Previous attempts/family history of attempts
We don’t often like to talk about this as a risk factor, because we hope that a person who has survived will not go back to suicide as a possibility. Those who have attempted suicide in the past are more likely to try again, however. Likewise, those who know someone, particularly a family member, who has attempted or succeeded in committing suicide are also at a higher risk.
- Aggression
Sometimes, people who are considering suicide become aggressive toward others, especially when those others try to help. One must consider what it is that’s making the person aggressive, and try to approach them in a way that is not threatening or that might trip their defenses, but still find a way to help.
- Talking about Death or Suicide
By far the most common sign, it’s worth revisiting. This could mean anything from calling to say “goodbye” to people, or to suggest plans. There are healthy ways to talk about death and planning for it, and sometimes the trick is to understand the difference between “planning for my immanent death” and “planning for the unthinkable.” Having recently gone through the death of my father, who was not planning to die, but wanted everything in order in the event he should, has given me a real appreciation for healthy discussions around death, as opposed to the sort of discussion that is a warning sign, as outlined here.
Not much has changed from my original response regarding how to respond to this sort of thing, though I have learned one key new thing, which I mentioned last time I did this course, and which I think is equally important now: there is a point where you must understand that you have done all you can to help, and if they succeed, it is not your fault. Especially when working closely with a person through multiple attempts, it is easy to feel that you didn't try hard enough, or if you had only gone over that one time last week, things might be different. Understand that suicide can cause a domino effect and make you feel like you have broken, too.
As for an initial response: the first thing to do is to take the warning signs seriously. I would most likely try and sit down with them in a quiet, private place (if it were a Grove member, I might ask them to meet me at the library we hold our meetings at early and schedule one of their free conference rooms for privacy and access to resources) and ask them about the signs I’ve seen by being direct but gentle in asking about suicide. If they are considering it, or if it seems like they are, I would refer them directly to one of our local resources, as well as ask them to add one of the hotlines to their phone. I would offer to listen to any issues that they have, but be clear about my role as a listener, rather than a counselor, and I would make it clear that while I am always willing to be there for a person if I am able, they should contact one of the resources before they contact me if things do not improve or become worse. I would also be clear that my approaching them about this is not a judgment of their character, nor would it affect their work in the Grove. I would then follow up later to see if they have been improving and try and keep that contact regular.
Here at OSU, the mental health facility no longer takes direct enrollment, but you are now required to enroll either through an outpatient program or through the OSU Emergency Room.
- Re-examine your list of resources for available crisis services. Re-submit your complete list from the last version of this course (or your original Crisis Response submission if this is the first time you are taking Crisis Response Continuing Education) with updated information for each resource.
The local hotline to obtain emergency services such as these is 2-1-1, Franklin County’s First Link Directory. They put out a print publication, and are also available online at http://www.handsoncentralohio.org/ (this has updated since my last listing). This list can only be partial and cannot include all services offered because of the diversity of services required and offered by Franklin County (the print book has over 200 pages of resources, but as of July 1, 2013, the directory became free to the public!)
This particular requirement is one of the most important that we have as Priests, I think: the last time I went through this exercise, all but one listing was defunct. This time, only one resource required an update (North Community Counseling Centers, which had changed their phone numbers).
Suicide Thoughts/Support
Name: North Central Mental Health Services - (Verified info as of 10/09/2017)<
Contact: (614) 261-3196
Referral: (614) 261-3196
Hours: Crisis line is 24-hours
Services: Provides a 24-hour crisis line, as well as support groups (see “other notes” below)
Other notes:
Survivors of Suicide Support Group
614 395-0727
Last Sunday of each month 7 pm-8:30 pm.
1301 North High Street
Main Building
Columbus, OH 43201
mental illness
Name: Columbus Area Inc. - (Verified info as of 10/09/2017)<
Contact: (614) 252-0711
Referral: (614) 252-0711
Hours: 8:30 AM – 5 PM
Services: support and psychiatric services for adults in varying intensity (from support groups to residential care); individual, family and group counseling; case management; outpatient services.
Other notes: Works with a variety of mental health issues, including chronic ones, most services being at their Columbus Area Inc. location:
Columbus Area, Inc., Pathway Clubhouse
1203 East Broad St.
Columbus, OH 43205
Phone: (614)252-0711
substance abuse (addiction)
Name: North Community Counseling Centers - (Verified info as of 10/09/2017)<
Contact: (614) 846-2588 ext. 2223
Referral: (614) 846-2588 ext. 2223
Hours: 8:30 AM – 5 PM (some evenings)
Services: individual and group counseling for substance abuse, as well as informational/educational information on substance abuse and addiction.
Other notes: Evening hours available by appointment, first point of contact is via phone. North and west side branches are at (614) 261-3196
North Community Counseling Centers
Bridge Site
4897 Karl Rd.
Columbus, OH 43229
financial issues
Name: IMPACT Community Action (formerly Columbus Leads) - (Verified info as of 10/09/2017)<
Contact: (866) 747-1038
Referral: (866) 747-1038
Hours: 8 AM – 4 PM most days (see below)
Services: heating bill assistance, discounts, weatherization. Provides emergency payment of up to $175/household/year for utility assistance (particularly heating, though other assistance is available)
Other notes: 24-hour appointment line at (866) 747-1038. Services primarily based on poverty (150% of poverty line or below), but assistance for others is available based on income and source of utility. Aids in budgeting with "Percentage of Income Payment Plan" (PIPP) for gas and electric. Provides materials for weatherization and insulation.
All sites use (614) 252-2799 as contact during regular business hours, except weatherization: that site uses (614) 258-8702.
homelessness (lack of shelter, food, clothing, other basic needs)
Name: Homeless Families Foundation - (Verified info as of 10/09/2017)<
Contact: 651 West Broad Street, 43215, (614) 253-3910
Referral: For immediate shelter, call the YWCA Family Center at 253-7970
Hours: 24 hours Mon-Sun Family intake line
Services: Provides individual furnished apartment units for up to 3 months for homeless families with minor children. Must be willing to live drug free and participate in agency self-improvement programs.
Other notes: This is a YWCA program for families
suspected abuse of the individual’s child(ren)
Name: Franklin County Children Services - (Verified info as of 10/09/2017)<
Contact: (614)229-7100
Referral: (614)229-7100
Hours: 24 hours
Services: investigations of child abuse, neglect, or exploitation within families, child care facilities, schools, group homes, etc.
Other notes: (614)229-7100 is the intake office number, and is available 24-7 for intake and investigation.
criminal victimization (victims of theft, sexual assault, domestic violence)
Name: Affirmations: A Center for Psychotherapy and Growth - (Verified info as of 10/09/2017)<
Contact: (614) 445-8277
Referral: (614) 445-8277
Hours: 9 AM – 10 PM Mon-Thurs; 9 AM – 6 PM Fri; 9 AM – 3 PM Sat.
Services: Serves sexual abuse/sexual assault survivors, PTSD, domestic violence, and a variety of other survivors.
Other notes: www.affirmationstherapy.com; provides a wide variety of counseling resources (and would also work for Grief (below)
grief (resulting from death, terminal illness, divorce or other loss)
Name: Directions Counseling Group - (Verified info as of 10/09/2017)
Contact: (614) 888-9200
Referral: (614) 888-9200
Hours: 9 AM – 7 PM Mon – Fri
Services: group, family, and individual counseling for grief sharing, bereavement, postabortion, PTSD, depression, etc.
Other notes: offers "spiritual well-being" counseling, but notes that this is "Christian-based." Other counseling is not religiously based.
Directions Counseling Group
6797 N. High Street, Suite 350
Columbus, OH 43085
Works Cited
- Dangler, Michael J. Crisis Response, Requirement 5. ADF Clergy Training Program. Chronarchy.com. Accessed 9 Sept. 2017.
- Franklin County First Link Directory. 2006 edition. Columbus, OH : Firstlink. 2006 ISBN 097151464X
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