What elements should be included in a crisis intervention protocol for PA practice?

• A. Long-term psychotherapy planning only.
• B. Risk assessment, safety planning, resource referrals, and thorough documentation of actions taken.
• C. Financial documentation and billing coding.
• D. Legal compliance with subpoenas only.

Answer: (B)

In crisis intervention, the priority is immediate safety and stabilization. The protocol that best supports this is built around assessing risk, planning for safety, connecting the patient to urgent resources, and keeping thorough documentation of every action taken.

Risk assessment is the first step: determine if there is danger to the patient or others, including any thoughts of self-harm, intent, plan, and access to means. This guides how urgently to escalate care and what immediate measures are needed. Safety planning follows, working with the patient to reduce danger in the moment—identifying coping strategies, removing or securing means, establishing a support network, and outlining steps to seek help if danger escalates. Resource referrals are then integrated, linking the patient to appropriate immediate supports such as crisis lines, mobile crisis teams, emergency services, or urgent medical evaluation, with a clear plan for follow-up care. Finally, thorough documentation of all assessments, decisions, safety plans, and referrals is essential for clinical continuity, informed consent, and legal/ethical accountability.

Other options miss the central aim of crisis management. Focusing only on long-term psychotherapy planning neglects the urgent stabilization needed during a crisis. Administrative tasks like financial documentation and billing are not the core elements of crisis intervention. Legal compliance with subpoenas addresses external obligations but does not address the patient’s immediate safety and the crisis at hand.