Intro to Crisis & Trauma

Course Overview

Have you been through a traumatic experience? Or would like to help others who have experienced crises and trauma in their lives? The effects of traumatic events place a heavy burden on individuals, families and communities and create challenges for the workplace environment and at home.

The Intro to Crisis & Trauma micro-credential will help you master the first steps in understanding terminology and concepts surrounding crisis and trauma.

This 2-week introductory course will guide you in building qualities and skills to help you manage incidents of crisis and trauma that you may experience at a personal or professional level. Explore the importance of emotional self-management and the management of the emotions of persons who have been deeply affected by crisis and/or trauma.

Finally, this course will teach you how to respond optimally in situations of crisis and/or trauma and will assist you in developing your own trauma-informed approach. Acquire the skills to make informed decisions to constructively deal with the effects of crises and/or trauma.

Note: Counselling skills training is required to assist people in crisis and trauma. This course does not address counselling skills training. It focuses on the context of crises and trauma.

Time commitment per week

An average of 10 – 13 hours weekly.

Is this course for you?

This course is for you if you have existing counselling skills but want to develop principles and approaches to managing incidents of crisis and trauma.

What is Crisis and Trauma?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines crisis as “an extremely difficult or dangerous point”. It therefore originates from a specific time or event.  Trauma on the other hand is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as a “severe and lasting emotional shock and pain caused by an extremely upsetting experience.”

For more information on how to deal with crisis and trauma read our blog post.

Dates

• Class of 2025 April: 7 April – 20 April
• Class of 2025 May: 12 May – 25 May
• Class of 2025 June: 9 June – 22 June
• Class of 2025 July: 7 July – 20 July
• Class of 2025 August: 11 August – 24 August
• Class of 2025 September: 8 September – 21 September
• Class of 2025 October: 6 October – 19 October
• Class of 2025 November: 3 November – 16 November

There are no online classes. Course content is released on a weekly basis.  This will allow you to work through the course material at a time that is most convenient for you, while still meeting the weekly targets on time.

Certification

Upon completion, you will receive a digital certificate of competence and badge. Your certificate and badge can be shared on 100+ social media platforms, allowing you to share your achievement with a single click.

Credential Type

The OpenLearning team has reviewed this course to ensure quality academic learning within the Malaysian and Australian credentialing framework.

An OpenLearning OpenCred is a type of credential that can stand-alone, or interact with a formal qualification. OpenCred courses are market-leading online courses aimed at preparing learners for the future of work.

This course has been designed and developed by experts in the field of psychology. The Intro to Crises and Trauma micro-credential is for anyone needing to upskill in this area and offers 20 hours of indispensable learning and assessment.

Learners study online with peers and receive robust academic content while acquiring practical industry-relevant skills.

OpenCreds

Completing this course leads to obtaining an OpenCred.

• 20 hours of learning
• OpenCred classification: Pathway

Stackable Credentials

Stack specified combinations of micro-credentials and they can be recognised as equivalent to a module within the Bachelor of Applied Social Science Degree at SACAP.

Intro to Crisis & Trauma can be stacked with Symptoms of Crisis & Trauma and Crisis Interventions and Effective Crisis & Trauma Management, and if you meet the minimum entrance criteria, you can enrol for the Bachelor of Applied Social Science Degree and apply for module exemption.

What You’ll Need

• Access to Microsoft Word
• Google Chrome (recommended)
• Stable internet connection

What You’ll Learn

Over the course of two (2) weeks, through videos, readings, and discussions, you will explore the following topics:

• Concepts of crisis and trauma.
• The key principles of a Trauma-informed Care Approach.
• A strategy for implementing a Trauma-informed Approach.

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Define crisis and trauma concepts.
• Explain the concept of trauma adopted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
• Describe the three “E’s” of Trauma.
• Explain key assumptions and key principles that govern a Trauma-informed Care Approach.
• Understand how to implement a trauma-informed approach within an organisation, agency, or system.
• Apply key principles of a Trauma-informed Care Approach to develop a simple trauma-informed strategy within an organisation, agency, or system.

The Team

Our short course developers and assessors are expert practitioners. They have been specifically selected for the breadth and depth of experience they possess in their respective disciplines. The team loves sharing their knowledge and online learning expertise to ensure that you get the most out of your learning journey.