1. APRIL MARTIN CHARTRAND,
Presenter
My 1st Year Internship
Mr. B.
A Client’s Medical Crisis Situation
Ulash Thakore-Dunlap, Professor | COUN 741 | San Francisco State University | August 4, 2015 Graphic: April Martin Chartrand – Copyright 2009

2. English
Graphics: Google.com
May 2013 Internship Client Appointment
1) Extra Credit Counseling Intervention
3) Male client
from Africa
Age: 25-35 yrs
old?
4) English
and Zulu
2) 6’ 3”
Dressed in
baggy clothes
6) Mr. B. had a serious
medical disability &
previous trauma was
unknown to me
5) Did not
engage during
our class - looked
sad/angry/or sick
7) Precipitating event-Perception-Emotional-Lower Functioning
2
THE CRISIS SITUATION – background info

3. CRISIS SITUATION & WHOM IT IMPACTED
Graphics: Google.com
1) One Consent form for Counseling Signed
2) Mandated reporter
3) Mother
Died in 2011,
he had a
Organ
Transplant,
& he said he
gets really
angry fast
5) Impacted: Me, Silver City College Counselor #1, #2,
#3, Office Mgr., Student Worker, his relatives,
classmates, people near by building, janitor, EMT, &
SFPD.
4) His Face
froze, body
froze,
except for
his right
writing
hand
3

4. HOW THE CRISIS SITUATION HANDLED
Graphics: Google.com
1) Onset of Seizure(?): I asked “Can You Speak?”
‘Distressed Students Response Protocol’
3) Counselor #1
told the student
worker to call /
but Counselor #2
called Silver City
College Campus
Safety Emergency
2) Ran to Counselor
#1’s office
and said I think
Mr. B. is
having a
seizure
4) Counselor # 1 stayed
with the client, asked
here & now questions,
adjusted clothes, till
EMT arrived
5) Silver City College Police
arrived, EMT checked vitals
and asked here & now
questions, checked meds &
arm band, transported to
UCSF Hospital
4
6) No counselor
Critical Incident
Debriefing or (ABC)
after incident: I asked
twice for help!

5. MY REACTION - COUNTERTRANSFERENCE
Graphics: Google.com
1) Confusion: I had never seen a seizure – so I
was not sure if the client was messing with me
(He said: I gets angry)
3) Contacted
Practicum
Advisor
2) Calm throughout
the incident
but became
emotionally
/physically
depleted, confused
, guilt-ridden
& had nightmares
for weeks.
6) I saw the client in class for 3 weeks
afterwards, and felt guilty/blamed myself.
My 1st Life & Death critical incident.
5) Made Appt.
a therapist =
VT d/o
5
4) Education:
Watched
Seizure Video

6. HOW A COUNSELOR COULD INTERVENE
Graphics: Google.com
WARM-HAND-OFF: ON CAMPUS
INTERGRATIVE REFERRALS
Crisis State
Assessment
Scale
Grounding
Techniques
Follow up with Counselor
#2 to see if Mr. B.
contacted his primary
caregiver
Office Manger:
Contact Dean
of Student
Affairs &
Wellness and
Director of
Student Health
ABC Model of
Crisis
Intervention
for students,
witnesses
who saw the
tail-end of the
incident
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