Application of Crisis Theory and Resiliency Theory to a Case Study

Ella Schultz’s crisis can be charted over the five stages. The hazardous event was the loss of work and alcoholism of her father, which shook the family. The stage of vulnerability started as Ella’s grades worsened and the abuse from her father increased. The precipitating factor came when there was severe physical abuse during a fight involving both parents, and the crisis took an active crisis stage, during which Ella ran away from home and became homeless: Application of Crisis Theory and Resiliency Theory to a Case Study.

The phase of reintegration crisis commenced when she joined the Teens First group home, with which she began therapy. Ella is in the reintegration or crisis resolution stage, which requires developing new coping strategies and utilizing environmental supports, including access to social work intervention (Franklin & Jordan, 2024).

Ella’s resilience is evident in her ability to abstain from substance use and build buffering peer relationships amidst severe adversity. Her connection with a group of teenagers, especially Marisol, acted as a buffer group, encouraging her not to partake in high-risk activities such as trafficking (Walden University, n.d.). Establishing relationships and acquiring coping skills are strengths of resilience behavior that contribute to surviving trauma (Frey, 2023). Her motivation to connect with her parent and seek counseling reveals strength-based behavior with a desire to heal and rebuild trust.

My approach as a social worker would focus on trauma-informed care and strength-based practice to validate Ella’s identity and experience. With individual and family therapy, I would gradually promote communication between Ella and her mother, only with the development of safety and trust. Successful reintegration requires building emotional safety, generating problem-solving capacity, and supporting client autonomy (Polat & Duran, 2025). I would focus on enabling Ella to rebuild her sense of identity and safety with consistent therapeutic guidance.

The combination of crisis and resiliency theory creates a more complete intervention: both short-term trauma stabilization and long-term growth building. The two theories support each other by addressing the crisis phases and the client’s capacity for adaptation. This two-part model promotes Ella’s recovery by reducing crisis events and building intrinsic and extrinsic resources to promote long-term recovery.

References

Franklin, C., & Jordan, C. (2024). Turner’s social work treatment (7th ed.). Oxford University Press Academic US. https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9780197678046

Frey, E. (2023). Preparing for risks and building resilience. Journalism Studies, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670x.2023.2173962

Polat, S., & Duran, S. (2025). “Believing facilitates success”: Psychiatric nurses’ perspectives on recovery. BMC Nursing, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-02785-8

Walden University. (n.d.). Theory into practice: Four social work case studies. Walden University, LLC.

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