Intervention is a measure taken in order to inflict changes in a situation. In the case of helpers, interventions are implemented to ensure a person’s safety and well-being. First-order intervention refers to immediate assistance with a short planning period. Second-order intervention means employing therapy in order to help people face what is to come next and reduce the chances that they will become phycological casualties (Corey & Corey, 2020). A helper needs to understand the differences between the two types of interventions and to do so better, they have to have a first-hand experience with them.
I encountered first-order intervention as means of urgent support during a critical situation when I had to refer a person to a crisis prevention hotline. In order to gauge the level of danger, I had to ask multiple questions in a calm, collected voice without betraying my concern. Fortunately, I was able to convince the person to seek additional help under my guidance and support.
Second-order intervention is also called crisis therapy, and it entails working with the client to ensure that they resolve their suppressed feelings. An example of this type of intervention that I observed was changing a person’s goals. Through therapy, it was discovered that their distress was caused by anger after a breakup. After changing their goals from self-improvement out of spite to self-improvement for their own happiness, they were able to move along with their life.
In conclusion, first and second-order interventions aim to help a person during a crisis. The first-order intervention focuses on short-term measures, such as referrals to other professionals. Second-order interventions provide support after the immediate emergency in order to resolve issues that had led to the crisis. A helper’s goal in both interventions is to ensure the client’s safety and well-being through various means.
Reference
Corey, G., & Corey, M. S. (2020). Becoming a helper. Cengage Learning.