CRISIS INTERVENTION
(part 1)
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9 (NASB)

I am convinced the correct answer to Cane’s question is a resounding “YES!” If we take time to reason out the complete meaning of “Loving God and Loving People” then we conclude that loving God means caring for (Gen. 2:15) God’s creation and loving the things HE loves. Loving people, means we take an active role in helping and protecting each other. This brings us to Cane’s question and my response to that question. When people are in crisis, either physical, spiritual, or emotional, the loving response is to intervene.
The age group at greatest risk today is that group between the ages of 11 to 25. The key ingredient in crisis intervention for this age group is loving parents and step parents. Intervention (or in Cane’s words, “becoming my brother’s keeper”) cannot be left up to parents alone. There are too many angles of attack for parents to handle the battle alone. Other adults must work, in cooperation with parents (key point), to keep students from falling victim to the messages of self destruction bombarding them daily. Crisis intervention can simply mean that Christian adults take back control of students’ lives by battling the cultural forces that make destructive solutions seem attractive to the troubled teen. Teen crisis interventions can only occur when Christian adults quit denying a crisis exists. According to Dr. Michael Conner, a licensed psychologist and an expert in crisis intervention:
The formula for health care and education today generally does not address the unique or individual needs of teenagers in crisis....The underlying cause is not understood or addressed because the real issue requires more effort than simply providing "symptom" relief. A failure to gain a clear understanding of a teenager with problems and failure to provide an appropriate response can perpetuate problems and escalate to the point of more serious problems. (Source:http://www.crisiscounseling.com/Crisis/CrisisInterventionTeens.htm)