Crisis communication involves three phases - pre-crisis, crisis response, and post-crisis. In the pre-crisis phase, organizations should have a crisis management plan, team, pre-drafted messages, and communication channels in place. During a crisis, the initial response should be quick, accurate, and consistent, prioritizing public safety. In the post-crisis phase, recovery efforts and reputation repair continue through ongoing communication. Crisis counselors provide brief support and resources to help individuals and communities cope after traumatic events like disasters, violence, or domestic abuse. Self-care is important for counselors to prevent secondary trauma.

1. Crisis
communication
By / MahmoudShaqria
‫شقريه‬ ‫محمد‬ ‫محمود‬

2. Out lines
O Introduction
O Definitions
O Elements of a crisis
O Crisis communication can be divided into three phases:
-Pre crisis
-Crisis response
-Post crisis
-

3. -Definition of crisis
counsellng.
-Mention crisis counselors work
place.
-Utilize of crisis
counselors.
-Important of crisis
counselors.
-Aspecific need for counselor self-
care.
-How to prevent secondary trauma

4. Introduction
Crisis communication is a critical organizational function.
Failure can result in serious harm to stakeholders, losses for an
organization, or end its very existence.Public relations
practitioners
are an integral part of crisis communication teams.
So a set of best practices and lessons gleaned from our
knowledge of crisis communication
would be a very useful resource for those in public relations

5. Definitions
Crisis
The perception of an unpredictable event that threatens
important expectancies of stakeholders and can
seriously impact an organization‘s performance and
generate negative outcomes.‖

6. Communication
Communication is the effective
sharing or transmission of facts opinions or emotions by 2
or more people.
The 3 basic elements of communication are :
-The Receiver.
-The Message
-The Sender

7. Crisis communication
The effort taken by a company to communicate with the public
and stockholders when an unexpected event occurs that could
have anegative impact on the company's
reputation. This can also refer to the efforts of business or
governmental entities to inform employees or the public of a
potential hazard such as an impending storm which could have
a catastrophic impact.

8. Elements of crisis communication-
1-Pre crisis phase
• Crisis Management Plan
• Crisis Management Team
• -Pre draft Messages
• Spokesperson
• Communication Channels

9. 2- Crisis response
-Initial Response.
-Reputation Repair Strategies.
3-Post crisis phase.-
Pre Crisis Phase
Prevention involves seeking to reduce known risks that
could lead to a crisis.This is part of an organization‘s
risk management program

10. .
Preparation involves according to Both Barton and
Coombs:Crisis Preparation Best Practices
1.Have a crisis management plan and update it at least annually.
2.Have a designate crisis management team that is properly
trained.
3.Conduct exercise at least annually to test the crisis
management plan and team.
4.Pre-draft select crisis management messages including
content for dark web sites and templates for crisis stat.

11. 1)Crisis Management Plan
-A crisis management plan (CMP) is a reference tool.
-A CMP provides lists of key contact information,
reminders of what typically should be done in a crisis,
and forms to be used to document the crisis
response.
-CMP saves time during a crisis by pre-assigning
some tasks, pre-collecting some information, and
serving as a reference source.

12. 2)Crisis Management Team
-The composition will vary based on the nature of the crisis.For
instance, information technology would be required if the crisis
involved the computer system.
-Time is saved because the team has already decided on who
will do the basic tasks required in a crisis.
-Plans and teams are of little value if they are never tested.
training is needed so that team members can practice making
decisions in a crisis situation.

13. 3)Spokesperson
-A key component of crisis team training is spokesperson
training.Organizational members must be prepared to talk to
the news media during a crisis. Media training should be
provided before a crisis hits.

14. Crisis Media Training Best Practices
1.Avoid the phrase ―no comment‖ because people think it
means the organization is guilty and trying to hide something
2.Present information clearly.Lack of clarity makes people think
the organization is purposefully being confusing in order to hide
something.
3.Appear pleasant on camera by avoiding nervous habits that
people interpret as deception.A spokesperson needs to have
strong eye contact, limited disfluencies such
23as ―uhms‖ or ―uhs‖, and avoid distracting nervous gestures
such as fidgeting or pacing

15. 4)Pre-draft Messages
Finally, crisis managers can pre-draft messages
that will be used during a crisis.More accurately,
crisis managers create templates for crisis
messages.Templates include statements by top
management, news releases, and dark web
sites.

16. 5)Communication Channels
An organization may create a separate web site for the
crisis or designate a section of its current web site for
the crisis.The site should be designed prior to the
crisis.This requires the crisis team to anticipate the
types of crises an organization will face and the types
of information needed for the web site.

17. Crisis Communication Channel Preparation Best
Practices
1.Be prepared to use a unique web site or part ofyour current
web site to address crisis concerns.
2.Be prepared to use the Intranet as one of the channels for
reaching employees and any other stakeholders than may
have access to your Intranet.
3.Be prepared to utilize a mass notification system for
reaching employees and other key stakeholders during a crisis

18. Crisis Response
The crisis response is what management does and
says after the crisis hits.Public relations plays a critical
role in the crisis response by helping to develop the
messages that are sent to various publics.A great deal
of research has examined the crisis response.That
research has been divided into two sections:
(1) The initial crisis response
(2) Reputation repair and behavioral intentions.

19. 1)Initial Response
The initial crisis response guidelines focus on three points:-Be
quick, Be accurate, Be consistent.
Initial Crisis Response Best Practices
1.Be quick and try to have initial response within the first hour.
2.Be accurate by carefully checking all facts

20. 3.Be consistent by keeping spokespeople informed of crisis
events and key message points.
4.Make public safety the number one priority.
5.Use all of the available communication channels including the
Internet, Intranet, and mass notification systems.
6.Provide some expression of concern/sympathy for victims
7.Remember to include employees in the initial response.
8.Be ready to provide stress and trauma counseling to victims of
the crisis and their families, including employees.
Cont………

21. 2)Reputation Repair and Behavioral
IntentionsReputation Repair Strategies
1.Attack the accuser:crisis manager confronts the
person or group claiming something is wrong with the
organization.
2.Denial:crisis manager asserts that there is no crisis.
3.Scapegoat:crisis manager blames some person or
group outside of the organization for the crisis.

22. 4.Excuse:crisis manager minimizes organizational
responsibility by denying intent to do harm and/or
claiming inability to control the events that triggered
the crisis.
5.Justification:crisis manager minimizes the perceived
damage caused by the crisis.6.Reminder:crisis
managers tell stakeholders about the past good works
of the organization
Cont………

23. 7.Ingratiation:crisis manager praises stakeholders for
their actions.
8.Compensation:crisis manager offers money or other
gifts to victims.
9.Apology:crisis manager indicates the organization
takes full responsibility for the crisis and asks
stakeholders for forgiveness.

24. Post-Crisis Phase
In the post-crisis phase, the organization is
returning to business as usual.The crisis is still
requires some attention, reputation repair may
be continued or initiated during this phase.
There is important follow-up communication that
is required.

25. The Post-Crisis Phase Best Practices
1.Deliver all information promised to stakeholders as
soon as that information is known. The amount of
follow-up communication required depends on the
amount of information promised during the crisis
2.Keep stakeholders updated on the progression of
recovery efforts including any corrective measures
being taken and the progress of investigations.

26. What is Crisis Counseling?
According to the American Counseling Association, crisis
counseling assists individuals with coping and support after a
major crisis. Crisis counseling is brief and time-limited with
specific goals for achieving stability, increasing an internal sense
of empowerment and safety, and locating appropriate resources.
Typically, this type of counseling can range from 15 minutes to 2
hours and is provided throughout 1-3 sessions. While it is not a
substitute for long-term therapy or psychiatric care, crisis
counseling can provide a safe outlet for immediate relief.

27. Where Crisis Counselors Work
Crisis counselors can work in a variety of settings including:
Telephone crisis counseling centers
Online/live chat crisis counseling forums
Mental health clinics
Humanitarian aid organizations
University counseling centers
Nonprofit community centers
Private practice

28. Crisis counselors often utilize psychological first aid External
link , which focuses on reducing acute distress, restoring
physical and mental stabilization, and integrates prosocial
coping skills. Professionals trained in mental health first
aid External link assist with identifying and responding to signs
of mental illness or substance use (i.e. someone experiencing a
panic attack or experiencing suicidal ideation).
Providing mental health first aid is not only limited to medical
professionals; anyone with a desire to help can enroll in these
courses.

29. What Crisis Counselors Do:
1-Helping After Weather Disasters
Crisis counseling can help in natural disasters, such as
hurricanes, wildfires, or earthquakes. In 2017, for instance, the
National Centers for Environmental Information estimated at
least 15 major weather and climate disasters External link with
losses exceeding over $1 billion each.
Crisis counseling helped provide relief for those suffering from
financial burdens, health consequences, and severe emotional
distress or grief as a result of these weather disasters.

30. 2-Addressing Violent Acts
The aftermath of these mass shootings may be
associated with feelings of anger, depression,
psychosomatic symptoms, anxiety, depression
Fortunately, crisis counseling continues to
provide a stable anchor for those in the wake of
such violence.

31. 3-Domestic Violence Victim Support
More than 10 million men and women External link are abused
by their intimate partners each year. Resources, such as the
National Domestic Violence Hotline, provide confidential
support, resources and referrals, and safety planning for victims
in domestic violent relationships.
Crisis counseling offers emotional support and resources to
help individuals with creating effective safety plans should they
choose to leave to their violent relationship.

32. 4-Suicidal Intervention
Each year, approximately 44,193 Americans External
link commit suicide, making it the 10th leading cause of death
in the US. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides
confidential crisis support for people across the US feeling
actively suicidal or in severe emotional distress. A crisis
counselor will explore the individual’s thoughts and feelings and
refer to the appropriate resources if needed, such as calling the
paramedics in acute situations.

33. A Specific Need for Counselor Self-Care
Counselors risk experiencing secondary trauma or
compassion fatigue when working with acute crisis
populations. This refers to experiencing the client’s
sense of depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms

34. To prevent secondary trauma or burnout, counselors
should consider implementing self-care strategies.
This includes taking care of physical health: eating a
nutritious diet, exercising regularly, and maintaining
an appropriate sleep schedule. It also means taking
care of one’s own mental health: carving out time for
leisure activities, reflection and journaling, spirituality,
and spending time with loved ones.

35. reference http://www.instituteforpr.org/crisis-management-
and-
communications http://managementstudyguide.com/crisis-
communication.htm