Crisis intervention
The planned, safety-focused steps taken when behavior creates an immediate risk of serious harm to the client or others, carried out according to the crisis or emergency plan.
A crisis is a situation in which behavior or an event creates imminent danger, such as severe aggression, serious self-injury, elopement into traffic, or a medical emergency. Crisis intervention is what staff do to restore safety. The goal in that moment is safety, not teaching; usual procedures such as extinction may be set aside as the plan directs.
Crisis procedures are written in advance by the supervisor or organization. They often include warning signs to watch for, de-escalation strategies (giving space, reducing demands, using a calm voice, removing other people or dangerous objects), steps for getting help, when and how to contact emergency services, and any physical intervention that is allowed. Physical restraint or other emergency physical procedures are restrictive and are used only if they are in the plan or organizational policy, only by staff trained in that specific method, and only for as long as necessary to keep people safe.
Under the RBT Ethics Code (2.0), RBTs implement restrictive procedures only when they are in the documented plan and after the supervisor has verified competence. RBTs must also follow mandated-reporting requirements and organizational policies.
After a crisis, the RBT documents what happened objectively and promptly (antecedents, behavior, actions taken, duration, injuries) and notifies the supervisor and other required people as soon as possible, following the timelines the plan and workplace require.
Example and non-example
| Example | During a community outing, a client darts toward a busy street. The RBT follows the elopement plan, blocks the client's path as trained, moves them to a safe area, calls the supervisor and completes an incident report the same day. |
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| Non-example | A client whines during a puzzle and the RBT follows the plan's attention extinction procedure. The behavior poses no danger, so this is the regular behavior plan, not crisis intervention. |
Don't confuse it with
| Behavior intervention plan (BIP) | A behavior intervention plan covers the full approach to problem behavior, while crisis intervention covers only the emergency steps, which may be one section of that plan. |
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| Restrictive procedures | Restrictive procedures are a category of interventions, some used in crises, while crisis intervention is the broader set of safety steps for an emergency. |
Test yourself
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Question 1A client's behavior suddenly becomes dangerous during a session. What is the RBT's first priority?
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C: Keeping the client and others safe. In any crisis or emergency, the first priority is the safety of the client, the RBT and anyone nearby. The RBT follows the crisis plan and emergency procedures, then reports and documents.
- A: Teaching stops mattering when someone may be hurt; safety comes first.
- B: Immediate safety steps come first; the supervisor is contacted as soon as it is safe or as the plan directs.
- D: Data and documentation are completed once everyone is safe.
Task D.7 · 40-hour curriculum section E · RBT Ethics Code 2.01
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Question 2What should guide an RBT's actions during a crisis with a client?
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B: The client's crisis plan and the organization's emergency procedures. Crisis and emergency procedures are planned ahead by the supervisor and the organization. The RBT follows them as trained, not on-the-spot ideas.
- A: Speed alone is not a guide; unplanned actions can harm the client.
- C: Procedures from other clients' plans may not be safe or approved for this client.
- D: The RBT follows the written plan and policy and reports any conflict to the supervisor.
Task D.7 · 40-hour curriculum section E · RBT Ethics Code 2.02
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Question 3An RBT is about to start working with a new client who has a history of aggression. What should the RBT do before the first session?
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B: Read the crisis plan and ask the supervisor about unclear steps. RBTs prepare for service by reviewing the client's plan, including crisis procedures, and getting clarification and training from the supervisor before they need to use it.
- A: Each client's plan is individual; methods from past clients may not apply.
- C: There is no time to learn a plan during a crisis; it must be known in advance.
- D: Caregiver input is useful, but the RBT follows the supervisor's plan.
Task D.7 · 40-hour curriculum section E · RBT Ethics Code 2.04
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On the RBT exam
This term belongs to task D.7 Crisis and emergency procedures in content area D, Behavior Reduction, which is 14 of the 75 scored questions.