The Crisis Intervention movement, the ABECI and the CCI

What is Crisis Intervention?
Crisis Intervention is the immediate and temporary intrusion into the life of a person who, because of unusual stress, is unable to cope with their life in the way that they would normally. This intrusion is done with the purpose of interrupting the downward spiral of maladaptive behavior, and returning that individual to at least their level of pre-crisis functioning. Crisis Intervention should never be confused with, or assumed to be, crisis counseling, psychotherapy or other treatment modalities that may be utilized prior to or post crisis situations. Crisis Intervention is also known as "Emotional First Aid," a term coined by Dr. Edward Rosenbluh in the mid-1960s.

Who are crisis interveners?
Crisis interveners span the professional, para-professional, technician and non-professional ranks, including all who work in any of the multitude of service deliveries related to persons in severe emotional distress.

A non-exhaustive list might include: physicians, nurses, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, psychologists, hotline workers, human service agency personnel, police officers, firefighters, school teachers, attorneys, counselors, therapists, dentists, bartenders, probation and parole officers, prison guards, employee assistance personnel, hostage negotiators, peer counselors, supervisory personnel, parents, children, teenagers, trainers, school principals, receptionists, bankers, insurance agents, airline personnel.

How and why did the American Board of Examiners in Crisis Intervention originally come about?
As an outgrowth of the several Crisis Intervention training academies and the National Institutes for Training in Crisis Intervention, there were two major purposes: 1) to provide legitimate credentials to those who had the training and skills necessary to do effective Crisis Intervention; 2) to provide prospective employers of crisis interveners the assurance that those who are hired with the ABECI credentials are ready and able to perform effective Crisis Intervention.

Dr. Edward Stephen Rosenbluh
Dr. Rosenbluh and Dr. Greenstone met while matriculated at the University of Oklahoma in 1963. There, began the laying of some of the early plans for Crisis Intervention training programs. During the subsequent years, Dr. Rosenbluh established Crisis Intervention training programs as part of a special arrangement with the National Conference of Christians and Jews in Louisville, Ky.

As it became clear that these programs were desired by police departments and community helping agencies, and that such training was generally unavailable on a national basis, the National Institute for Training in Crisis Intervention, and later the American Academy of Crisis Interveners, was born to provide for this need. Training was offered on a regular basis and intermediate and advanced courses were developed in addition to the basic training.

When Dr. Greenstone completed his academic work, several years after Rosenbluh graduated, he joined the faculty of the National Institute for Training in Crisis Intervention. Later, he was involved in the development of similar training institutes and academies in other parts of the country. Dr. Greenstone served as national vice president of the American Academy of Crisis Interveners and President of the Southwestern Academy of Crisis Interveners. Initially, most were membership-based organizations.

The professional journal, Emotional First Aid: Journal of Crisis Intervention was developed at that time and forms the basis for the current website, www.emotionalfirstaid.com. In 1980, The American Board of Examiners in Crisis Intervention was formed. The early founders and officers of this body included: Dr. Edward S. Rosenbluh, Dr. James L. Greenstone, Dr. Kent Rensin, Lt. James Oney, Dr. W. Rodney Fowler and Dr. Sharon C. Leviton.

It was the intent of the Board to produce and to provide the crisis intervener community with a substantial way to evaluate and to certify those who were successfully trained in practical Crisis Intervention. Dr. Rosenbluh and Dr. Greenstone spent a great deal of time together, traveling around the country offering Crisis Intervention training programs. This gave them extensive opportunities to improve all of the programs and to plan the certification process.

What is Emotional First Aid?
Much like physical first aid, Emotional First Aid is the psychological equivalent of care provided for emotional emergencies. It is immediate, temporary and provides only the assistance necessary to help the sufferer to be able to function as they would have been able to function pre-crisis.

How unique is ABECI and what does it do?
The American Board of Examiners in Crisis Intervention is the oldest board dedicated exclusively to the certification of those who are engaged in providing practical Crisis Intervention services. It was established in 1980 as an extension of the American Academy of Crisis Interveners, the Southwestern Academy of Crisis Interveners and other Crisis Intervention training academies. The American Academy of Crisis Interveners was first established in the late 1960s in Louisville, Ky. It was a membership-based organization dedicated to the training of crisis interveners. As a result of AACI and the advent of other, similarly-oriented, training academies, members felt the need for a separate professional body to certify those who had completed Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Crisis Intervention training provided by the training academies. As a part of the certification, potential employers of Crisis Interveners could be assured that those possessing the ABECI certification had achieved at least minimal skills to provide crisis services. Throughout, ABECI accepted equivalent training from other training sources when making a determination about seating a candidate for the certification examination. The ABECI certification examination was designed as a highly practical examination requiring multiple skills to be demonstrated in order to achieve certification.

What is the future of the American Board of Examiners in Crisis Intervention?

• The goals of the American Board of Examiners in Crisis Intervention are:
• Establishing the certificate in Crisis Intervention as "the" credential in this field.
• Providing the "Certified Crisis Intervener" certification program to those who qualify.
• Offering National training programs at APA / ABECI national and regional meetings.
• Developing local and regional ABECI training chapters.
• Bringing together all who are engaged in Crisis Intervention, regardless of previous academic credentials, current affiliation or individual status.
• Continuing education in Crisis Intervention.
• Website: www.emotionalfirstaid.com- expansion and development of an online journal.
• Developing online training and extension courses in Crisis Intervention.
• Individualizing Crisis Intervention training for groups requiring external training.
• Attempting to provide academic credit for all training completed.

What is the vision for ABECI?
From the beginning, over 20 years ago, it has been the vision of ABECI to bring to the discipline of Crisis Intervention and to those who form its ranks, at all levels of service, a credential based on practical training, that reflects the special abilities of crisis interveners, and distinguishes them from all others.

As an APA/ABECI Certified Crisis Intervener, your credentials and advanced knowledge can bring you:

• Significant recognition among your peers
• Added credibility with crisis victims and with employers
• Increased referrals and case assignments
• Greater practice and career expectations
• The ability to network across disciplines