Crisis support skills

Overview

This is Lesson 8 of 9 in the unit Understanding Mental Health. Students build on previous learning about resilience, help-seeking pathways, and protective strategies by focusing on what to do during a mental health crisis and practising safe intervention through role-play.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• understand key crisis indicators and the difference between emergency and non-emergency support
• identify a simple, safe crisis intervention process to support someone in distress
• practise communication skills for crisis support using scenario-based role-play
• organise information about support options for a personal or school context

Success criteria

Students can:

• describe what to do first when someone may be in immediate danger
• choose appropriate actions (call emergency services, contact trusted adults, use school/community support) based on scenario details
• demonstrate supportive communication (calm tone, active listening, clear next steps) in a role-play
• justify their choices using mental wellbeing and resilience concepts from prior lessons

Curriculum links

• QCAA Health Unit 1: Plan for action in a personal health context—investigate resilience-building approaches and plan support strategies for a school context
• QCAA Health Unit 1: Use the Health inquiry model in relation to resilience in a personal health context
• QCAA Health Unit 1: Investigate and synthesise information to develop an action strategy to influence resilience in a personal health context
• QCAA Health Unit 2: Organise information about the chosen topic for particular purposes

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Safety check & agenda. Teacher states the purpose: crisis management and supportive communication, with emphasis on safety and appropriate referral. Students share one expectation for respectful role-play and listening.

2. 5–12 min · Mini-lesson: what counts as a crisis. Teacher explains crisis indicators broadly (risk of harm, inability to care safely, acute distress, threats/intent) and reinforces “when unsure, get help.” Students complete a quick sorting task: emergency vs urgent support vs low-risk support, using teacher-provided descriptions.

3. 12–20 min · Direct teach: a simple intervention process. Teacher models a step-by-step approach (for students to remember) such as:

• Check safety and risk (is anyone in immediate danger?)
• Stay with the person / don’t leave them alone
• Listen and validate feelings without judgement
• Ask directly about safety concerns (in a supportive way)
• Connect to appropriate help (trusted adult, school wellbeing staff, crisis lines, emergency services when immediate risk) Teacher highlights boundaries: students are not responsible for “fixing” the crisis; their role is to facilitate support. Students annotate the steps onto a one-page “Crisis Support Checklist” (teacher template).

4. 20–35 min · Modelling supportive communication. Teacher demonstrates a short script (tone, empathy, and clear next steps), including:

• opening: “I can see you’re really overwhelmed”
• listening: paraphrase what they’re saying
• clarity: “Are you safe right now?”
• action: “Let’s get help together.” Students practise in pairs for 2 minutes each: one role is “person in crisis,” one role is “supporter,” then swap.

5. 35–50 min · Role-play stations. Teacher sets up 2–3 scenario cards reflecting age-appropriate contexts (e.g. panic after receiving harmful messages, disclosure of self-harm thoughts, appearing dissociated and unable to stay safe). Students complete:

• 2 minutes role-play using the Crisis Support Checklist
• 2 minutes peer debrief: one “good support move” and one “next improvement”
• rotate or repeat with a second scenario if time allows Teacher circulates, correcting unsafe actions and reinforcing referral pathways.

6. 50–56 min · Organise an action plan. Teacher guides students to complete a short “Support Pathway Map” for their school context: who to contact, what to say, and when to escalate. Students fill a planning sheet, keeping it practical and brief.

7. 56–60 min · Exit ticket. Students submit one sentence answering: “When supporting someone in a mental health crisis, my first step is… because…”

Resources

• Crisis Support Checklist template (one-page, printable)
• Scenario cards (3–4 options, teacher-selected for safety and realism)
• Support Pathway Map sheet for school context
• Timer for role-play rotations
• Quiet space option for students who prefer not to perform aloud (observation role allowed with equivalent task)

Assessment

• Formative checklist observation: teacher listens for correct sequencing and supportive communication during pair practice and role-play
• Scenario-based questioning: teacher asks “What would you do next and why?” to check understanding
• Exit ticket: one clear first step plus a brief justification to confirm safety reasoning

Differentiation

• Support: sentence starters for communication (“I can see you’re…”, “Are you safe right now?”, “Let’s get help”)
• Support: reduced role-play expectations (student can be the “note-taker” who completes the checklist and explains choices)
• Extension: require students to add a “what I would say” line for one escalation point (e.g. moving from trusted adult contact to emergency services when immediate danger is indicated)
• SEN/EAL: provide scenario cards with key phrases highlighted; allow verbal or written responses and extra processing time before role-play