CRIS 303 Acute Stress, Grief and Trauma

With the increase in the number of critical incidents and natural disasters in the past few years, over 80% of individuals will experience acute stress at some point in their lives. Including incidents that involve death, such as murder, suicide, accidents, starvation, sudden infant death syndrome, miscarriages, heart attacks, and natural disasters, the long-term effects of grief and trauma can wreak havoc on its victims. The ability to work through the acute stress can mitigate the effects of long-term trauma in the lives of those impacted. The combined strategies of effective psychological first aid and grief counseling can relieve the acute stress response, foster resiliency, speed up the healing process, and mitigate the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder in the life of a traumatized individual.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

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Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will create a thread in response to the 3 questions posed by the instructor. Each thread must be at least 300 words. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 1 other classmate’s thread. Each reply must be at least 200 words. Each thread and reply must include at least one scholarly source. (CLO: A, B, C, E, F, I, L)

Crisis Personnel Assignments (2)

Crisis Personnel: Interviewee Identification Assignment

The student will identify a member of the community (“Crisis Personnel”) who is involved in the regular response to crises in the community that must be approved by the instructor. Examples include a police officer, firefighter, medical/mental health professional, or pastoral leader. In 150 words, the student will provide a description of the personnel’s regular response to crisis. Additionally, the student will describe what he/she hopes to learn and apply from the interview. (CLO: D, G)

Crisis Personnel: Interview Reflection Assignment

The student will interview a Crisis Personnel (previously approved by the instructor) using a list of five questions provided in the assignment resources section and prepare a 500-750 word reflection on the interview. The student will be provided with etiquette and tips on how to conduct his/her interview in the instructions. The student may not conduct the interview until the interviewee has been identified in the appropriate module: week and approved by the instructor. The student must use at least 1 scholarly reference and 1 Biblical reference in the personal reflection section. The scholarly source must be published within the last 5 years. (CLO: D, G)

Research Project Assignments (3)

The student will build a Research Project in the form of a brochure that summarizes acute stress response and discusses resources available. Over the duration of the course, the student will build and submit his/her project in current APA format in 3 parts: creating a title page, purpose statement, outline, and reference document, creating an annotated bibliography, and submitting his/her final project. The Research Project will include a separate reference page with at least 5 outside references which must be scholarly and published in the last 5 years.

Research Project: Title, Purpose, Outline, References Assignment

The student will compose the title page, write a purpose statement for the project of 75-100 words, and include an outline of at least six headings and three references for the project. 

Research Project: Annotated Bibliography Assignment

The student will compose an annotated bibliography for the Research Project. The student will compile a list of at least 5 scholarly references (this number will not include the required texts or Bible) published within the last 5 years in current APA format. Each reference must be accompanied by a brief paragraph (100–150 words) summarizing what the reference is about and the relevant information it brings to the project. 

Research Project: Final Assignment

Utilizing information presented in this course, as well as theoretical and practical elements from academic and Christian sources, the student will compile an original Research Project in the form of a brochure in current APA formatting. The Research Project must be grounded in current research and include a separate reference page containing a minimum of 5 scholarly references in addition to the textbooks and Scripture. The body of the project will define acute stress and provide 3 examples, identify physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual components of a normal and abnormal stress response, discuss the daily impact of acute stress on a person, list local resources for those in an acute stress situation, and apply God’s Word to crisis in a meaningful way. The final brochure should include six columns and at least 500 words. The student will submit this assignment to Turnitin to check for potential plagiarism.

(CLO: A, B, C, D, H, K, L)

Case Study Assignment

The student will review a case provided and will complete a 750 word paper focused on exploring the nature of the crisis presented, a specific crisis intervention model appropriate for alleviating the crisis response, coping skills, developing resiliency and the grief process of the primary victim. At least 3 scholarly references are required, 1 of which must be from the course content (texts or presentations). Outside references must be published within the last 5 years.

(CLO: A, D, E, F, H, K)

Quizzes (8)

The student will complete eight quizzes, one in each Module: Week, covering the textbook material. Each quiz will contain 20 multiple-choice and true/false questions as well as one essay question. Quizzes will be open book/open notes, and have a 1 hour time limit. (CLO: A, B, D, E, F, G, H)