The DeKalb County Crisis Response Team in conjunction with Kishwaukee College is offering a five-week course designed to give local residents basic crisis-response team training.

The class will meet from 6:30 to 9 p.m. every Thursday, beginning Sept. 23 and ending Oct. 21, at the DeKalb County Youth Services Bureau, 330 Grove St.

Jerry Lane, clinical director of the DeKalb County Crisis Response Team, said the program seeks to “help normal people with normal abilities dealing with abnormal events.”

The crisis team helps members of the community deal with various traumatic incidents such as death, tragedy in the workplace and community-wide disasters such as fires, floods or tornadoes.

Although in many cases the team is dealing with death, particularly that of children, Lane stresses that the team “is not therapy; it is a means of helping people cope with a traumatic experience.”

If necessary, the team can refer those in need of professional help to the appropriate resources.

Dan Templin, team member and co-presenter for the course, said he feels “the class has a lot of value, especially for anyone planning to work in social service, to help people dealing with a crisis and to have an understanding of stress reactions and what people need when dealing with a crisis.”

Having the skills to help others in need can be beneficial for more than just those going into the social service field.

Donna Larson, vice president of the team and counselor at Kishwaukee Education Consortium, said it is a skill to understand what happens to people when they are faced with a crisis.

In addition to acquiring a helpful skill, Larson said participation in the course “makes great resume material for anyone going into business, human resources, the medical field, being [a CA] in a dorm and so forth.”

Those people interested should note that participants are not required to serve on the Crisis Response Team. The total cost of the class is $6. Advanced registration is recommended but can be done up until the evening of the first class.

To register by phone, call Kishwaukee College at 815-825-2086, ext. 204. For more information, call Jerry Lane at 815-899-7080.