1. Course overview

Self-study course · Online academy · Counselling & supervision

Crisis Intervention in Social Work – Psychosocial Crises and Suicidality

For social work professionals in counselling, child and youth welfare services, integration assistance for persons with disabilities (Eingliederungshilfe), homelessness services and hospital social services, as well as social work students.

8 modulesapprox. 8 hoursat your own paceSources in APA 7 styleConfirmation of participation after working through all modules

How to work with this course

Work through the modules at your own pace – ideally in the suggested order.
Each module combines professional and legal fundamentals with case examples, an exercise with solution notes and questions for reflection. All statements are supported by sources in APA 7 style.
At the end of each module you will find a voluntary self-reflection with 5 questions – not evaluated, and you can repeat it as often as you like.
With ‘Mark module as done’ you confirm yourself, at the end of each module, that you have worked through it. Once all modules are marked as done, your confirmation of participation will be available. (For enrolments before 18 October 2026, the previous procedure still applies.)

Course content

Module	Topic	Time
Module 1	Understanding psychosocial crises: concept, crisis models, course of a crisis This module explains what a psychosocial crisis is, how traumatic crises differ from crises of change, and how crises can develop over time.	approx. 60 min.
Module 2	Basic principles of crisis intervention in social work This module introduces five basic principles of crisis intervention, the BELLA mnemonic and the role of social work within the chain of care alongside crisis services and further support.	approx. 55 min.
Module 3	Conducting conversations in acute crises: contact, relief, focus This module shows how social work professionals, in an acute crisis conversation, establish contact, offer relief, find a shared focus and close the conversation with agreements and points of contact.	approx. 55 min.
Module 4	Recognising suicidality and raising it directly This module shows how social work professionals notice signs of suicidality, place them in a professional context and talk about suicidal thoughts openly, calmly and directly.	approx. 55 min.
Module 5	Evaluating suicide risk, safety planning and onward referral This module shows how social work professionals, after raising suicidality, evaluate the situation together with the person, develop a safety plan in six steps and reliably refer people on to medical help, crisis services and the telephone counselling service (TelefonSeelsorge).	approx. 55 min.
Module 6	Legal framework: confidentiality, necessity and involuntary admission This module gives an overview of professional confidentiality and consent, justifying necessity, and involuntary admission under civil law and under public law – and clarifies the role of social work in acute crises without providing legal advice.	approx. 55 min.
Module 7	Domestic violence and acute danger: protection under the Violence Protection Act (GewSchG) This module shows how social work professionals act in crises caused by domestic violence and acute threat, following the principle of ‘safety first’, inform people about protection options under the Violence Protection Act (Gewaltschutzgesetz) and keep the support network, child protection and confidentiality in view.	approx. 55 min.
Module 8	Aftercare, documentation, peer consultation and self-care This module shows how social work professionals, after an acute crisis, ensure continuity of support, document crises in a traceable way, reflect on distressing incidents as a team and look after themselves.	approx. 55 min.

Legal position as of September 2026
As of September 2026, the relevant provisions include Section 203 of the German Criminal Code (StGB) (professional confidentiality), Section 34 StGB (justifying necessity), Section 1831 of the German Civil Code (BGB) (involuntary admission under custodianship law) and the state laws on involuntary admission and assistance (PsychKG/PsychKHG), which differ from state to state. The Violence Protection Act was amended by the Act of 2 July 2026 (BGBl. 2026 I No. 198); the amendments enter into force in stages. A suicide prevention act and the reform of compulsory medical measures (BT-Drs. 21/7561) exist only as drafts.

This self-study course provides professional knowledge for practice. It does not replace legal advice in an individual case or any mandatory induction or instruction, and it does not fulfil any statutory or contractual training obligation; whether it can be taken into account is for your employer to decide. The applicable laws in their current version, as well as the policies and procedures of your organisation, take precedence.