Crisis Care Team Job Description

Crisis Care Team Member Job Description/Procedure

Mission Statement: We are a crisis care team of trained people who stabilize immediate and urgent needs with compassion, discernment, and appropriate referral.

Definitions:

Immediate need: A need that requires immediate pastoral attention. The team member should respond by making a visit within 1 hour.

Urgent need: A need that is not immediate, but cannot wait cannot wait for interventions by other pastoral care teams (e.g. Sheltering Tree, prayer teams, etc.). Team member should respond by arranging a visit within 48 hours.

Qualifications:

1. Exhibits spiritual maturity and continued growth

2. Has a good reputation and demonstrates integrity

3. Has the spiritual gifts of mercy, shepherding, wisdom, discernment, faith, intercession, and/or encouragement

4. Has time availability to accommodate team member duties

5. Is willing to seek additional ongoing training to carry out the duties as required

Responsibilities:

1. Provide “on-call” services for emergency congregational care situations at least 48 hours/month

a. The team member will arrange to pick up the on-call cell phone on the day assigned.

b. Team member will also pick up an on-call tote bag which includes referral materials, response cards, scriptuire reference books and crisis information. 

c. Team member must stay within a 1 hour driving distance from Pella while on call.

d. If assigned team member is unable to fulfill their call assignment, they will find their own replacement from the list of team members.

e. Team members will be responsible to sign up for on-call on a monthly basis via the Third Church web site.  If changes need to be made to your on-line schedule, call Jane Kraft 628-4900 x203.
f. If you are on the schedule alone and get a call, please call the church to see if there is someone to go with you.  We prefer you not make a visit alone.

2. Provide initial contact with assessment and stabilization of immediate/urgent needs in crisis situations.

a. A team of 2 people is preferable when making the crisis calls.

b. It is preferred that at least one of the team members is an Elder or on Third Church Staff.

c. Utilize active listening, support, and prayer to stabilize crisis situations.

d. The team taking the crisis call will complete the initial visit even if it occurs after the on-call time frame is over. [e.g. if the call is an urgent need and the visit is done 48 hours after the call.]

e. If the team member is unable to complete the call, they will be responsible for finding another team member to complete it.

3. Make referrals to other resources as needed [e.g. counseling, food bank, Crossroads, Sheltering Tree]

4. Communicate crisis to Jane Kraft 628-4900 x203 as soon as possible.

5. Complete reporting form on-line within 24 hours of call.

6. It is recommended that you send a note to the person you visited as a follow-up.  There are note cards in the tote bag to use for this purpose.

7. Areas of crisis care may include, but is not limited to, the following:

Health crisis situations                               Relationship crisis situations
Sudden illness/accident                             Abuse- e.g. child, adult, spousal
Hospitalizations                                         Marriage crisis
Deaths/Miscarriage/infertility                     Church family crisis
Drug overdose                                          Parent/child crisis
Mental Health issues                                 Unplanned pregnancy
Suicide attempts

 

 

 

Catastrophic/financial crisis situations
Fire/ Tornado/Flooding
Arrest/ incarceration
Layoff/ termination from job
Gambling

Training/education:

1. Attend quarterly Crisis Team meeting. These sessions will provide training to assure/expand competency in the areas of crisis care. The meetings will also include debriefing and evaluation of responses to crisis, mutual encouragement, accountability and prayer.

2. Study on-line resources that are sent from the Crisis Care Team leader.

3. Assist as requested in the training of new Crisis Team members.

3. “Apprenticeships” will be utilized when possible by sending out new team members with experienced team members. [for approx 3-5 calls]

Personal care:

1. Place call to Crisis Care Team Leader for one-on-one debriefing within 48 hours of crisis visit.

2. Maintain intimacy with God through regular devotion time