#3 What is Crisis Intervention? Justin Capote, M.D. Interview

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Justin Capote, MD is Board Certified in both adult psychiatry and consultation-liaison psychiatry and was appointed to the American Health Council Board of Physicians for his outstanding contributions to improving mental health. Dr. Capote has extensive experience working in hospital, community, and emergency room settings. He has expertise in treating conditions related to medication overuse and misuse, withdrawal syndromes, age-related comorbidities, and common psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, anger, and depression. Dr. Capote is a graduate of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and a member of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry.

Crisis Intervention provides immediate stabilization of acute symptoms of mental illness. A part of the emergency department in a hospital, where an individual experiencing a psychiatric crisis can receive immediate treatment for mental and emotional distress, substance use disorders, trauma, and psychosocial stressors. Crisis Intervention offers psychiatric evaluation and referral to either a higher level of care within the hospital system or appropriate outpatient services when needed. Crisis intervention has several purposes. First, it aims to reduce the intensity of emotional, mental, physical and behavioral reactions to a crisis. Another purpose is to help an individual return to their level of functioning before they experienced the crisis. Functioning may be improved by developing new coping skills such as withdrawal, isolation and substance use. In this way, the individual is better equipped to cope with future difficulties. Through talking about what happened, and the feelings about what happened, while developing new skills and ways to cope and solve problems, crisis intervention aims to assist the individual in recovering from the crisis and to prevent serious long-term problems from developing.