The crisis following a severely traumatic event is potentially dangerous. Left untreated, it can overwhelm an individual and result in a serious pathology, including homicide and suicide.

It is also an opportunity because the nature of the pain it induces impels the person to want to seek help. Individuals may react any one of three ways to crisis. Under the ideal circumstances, individuals can cope effectively with crisis by themselves and develop strength from the experience. They change and grow in a positive manner and come out of the crisis both stronger and more compassionate.

Others appear to survive the crisis, but effectively block the hurtful affect from awareness, only to have it haunt them in innumerable ways throughout the rest of their lives.

There are also those who break down psychologically at the onset of the crisis and clearly demonstrate that they are incapable of continuing any further with their lives unless provided with immediate and intensive assistance.

Experience has demonstrated that if prompt trauma intervention is provided at the onset of the crisis, damaging long term effects can be minimised.

What is Crisis Support Services (CSS)?

Crisis Support Services (CSS) provides immediate and ongoing trauma and grief counselling. The organisation was established by James Glanville in 2003 discovering that, after nine years of service as a chaplain for Johannesburg’s emergency services, that the public chaplaincy service had all but died out in the Northern suburbs and its surrounding township areas.

Furthermore, the handful of chaplains left to take care of this massive area were all offering their services on a voluntary basis which gave rise to two further concerns: 1) they were very seldom available when a disaster occurred because of their full time work load and 2) they did not have the time to suitably qualify themselves to handle the increasing levels of horrific incidences regular people were being exposed to.

Work pressures faced by police and paramedics mean that they are often not able to deal with the emotional trauma suffered by crisis victims. The result? These victims and or family/friends suffer the aftermath of the crisis all alone.

1. The Scope of Services provided by CSS:

• Major Disasters – Terrorist Attacks, Floods, Outdoor incidents, etc.
• Man-Made Disasters – Drowning, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Fires, Cot Deaths, Suicides, etc.
• Crime related incidents – Murder, Assault, Hijacking, Armed Robbery, Rape, etc.
• Medical related incidents – Cancer, HIV and AIDS, etc.

CSS interventions include:

• Qualified crisis intervention for victims of trauma and their families. We also carry out death
  notifications personally.
• Crisis intervention, helping victims with police procedures, funeral arrangements and conducting
  funeral services where necessary.
• Palliative care to those diagnosed with a terminal disease. In addition, we conduct bereavement
  counselling for the family.