Crisis Trauma Counseling Case

Workplace violence Case 1

Scene created by: Elder Thurman

Months past as morale slowly dissipates down to a level of anxiety.  It seems that the pressure

of the economy and the looming need for the company to hint at making furloughs has sent the

working climate of this Industry into a conflict waiting to happen.  It finally happens, the tension

and unsureness of  job lost has cause one group to be so stressed about being the first ones

to go, that fear created enough tension to cause this terrible accident on the Job to happen.


Quickly following the accident tension erupts over who should be responsible.  One side blames

the other for shirking their duties and putting the company at risk, and the other group blames

the others for not joining with them to launch a complaint to the company about all of the cuts

they have been making for months now.  Many lost vacation time, sick leave, cuts to their

pensions, no more company luncheons, no Christmas parties, and no more free thanksgiving and

Christmas bonuses.


All of this led to this furry.  Blows begin without any more talking.  Stress had built to a level

where peoples emotions were out of control.  Carl Jones throws the first punch knocking

Grammy to the ground.  Then Bruce attacks Carl and pandemonium begins.


Paul Simmons, Duke Cones, Michael Beasley, Barry Jones, and  me, all supervisors of different

sections of the plant jump in to stop this melee before someone got  hurt enough to need

medical attention.  After the fight Carl Jones was escorted by Paul to the company office and

was written up for throwing the first punch.  Still visibly upset Duke Cones  Suggested giving

Carl Jones a three day suspension, because tension was surrounding the fact that Carl had a

reputation as a “Billy Bad But”, so Dukes decision made sense.  Meanwhile Michael Beasley

talks with Grammy to make sure that he was okay and ask if he needed to see a doctor.  Grammy

said no thanks, his pride was hurting more than his jaw, and they both laughed together.   

Bruce was also reprimanded for inciting the fight and jumping in and attacking Carl Jones, so

the decision was also made to send Bruce home for one day since he did not start the fight.


Before Bruce and Carl left the plant, they were both given summons to appear before a crisis

counselor to do a evaluation of their stress levels to determine if they were capable of

maintaining their Jobs at the plant without compounding what ever problems they may be

experiencing off the job.   They both agreed to the schedule meetings set up by their supervisor

Duke Cones.  I thanked all the supervisors for their quick response to bring down this level of

workplace violence.  I applauded Duke for his tactical skills, he got out their in the battle front

defused the element of surprise and removed all probable threats.

                                          Final thoughts   Elder A.L.Thurman

After this incident I rallied all of the supervisors together to discuss what is needed to combat

this workplace tension.  This step is just the beginning  in creating something wonderful to

combat the potential of further incidents in the future which possibly could lead to a fatality.


The future of this company will look different after what we have just experienced.  It shined

light on the need to re-store morale among worker in an Industry type environment.  We must

train new leaders that creates change within our environment and our workplace.  Managers

manage what is already there, but leaders create change to the environment and the atmosphere


so their workers can acclimate and grow well together.   Each worker must have a physical

evaluation every three years  mandatory or lose their jobs period.  The morale of this company

cannot change without making decisions that are based first of all on the needs of the people

who make up a great amount of the success story in this Industry.   Without the hard work of

the people working everyday because they love their jobs, there would not be an Industry.

There needs to be deployed a defense mechanism employed where there are visible signs of

security officers roaming the confounds of the inner and outer facility to make the workers fill

safer in their environment.


There should be opportunity to grow within the Industry by proving education for certain

available job opportunities right on the job.  There should be a crisis intervention counselor on

hand to help deal with the stress that comes with the job.  Every employer must have thorough

company training that is evaluated every three months for that particular job.  There must be drug

screening and criminal background checks on everyone employed.

I would provide education to every supervisor in the study of Crisis Trauma counseling so that

they can recognize stress in the people they work with and offer an ear for those who need to

talk about certain issues they’re dealing with.

I would have seminars on dealing with stress on the job and how to recognize stress in others.  I

would have a referral program to assists people with greater physiological problems to a

mental health physician free of charge.  Each worker would receive a pamphlet that deals with

how to handle a crisis and when to get help.