CRITICAL Incident Stress Management

Critical Incident Stress Management, or CISM, is a standard intervention protocol developed specifically for dealing with crises and traumatic events. It is a highly structured and well-recognized process for helping those involved in a critical incident to share their experiences, vent, learn about stress reactions and develop effective coping strategies, and also given further support if required.  It is not exactly psychotherapy, but a confidential, voluntary, and educative process to help cope with an incident, sometimes called 'psychological first aid'.

There are several CISM intervention types that can be applied, depending on the situation.  Variations of these interventions can be used appropriately for groups, individuals, families, and in the workplace.

Debriefing is a form of proactive intervention involving a group session about a particularly distressing incident. Based on the core principles of crisis intervention, the CISD is designed to alleviate the impact of a critical incident and to assist the group in recovery from the stress caused by the event. The CISD process is facilitated by a trained team that includes professional and peer support personnel. Also called Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). Ideally, it is conducted within 24 to 72 hours of the incident, but may be held at a later date under certain circumstances.

Defusingis an intervention process that is a bit shorter, and less formal version of a debriefing. It generally lasts from 30 to 60 minutes but may go longer. It is best conducted within 1 to 4 hours after a distressing incident. Like a debriefing, it is a confidential and voluntary space to learn about stress, share experiences and reactions to an incident, and also vent emotions. The main purpose of defusing is to stabilize people affected by the crisis event so that they can return to their normal routines without added stress. Where appropriate, a formal debriefing may also be required.

Grief and Loss Session is a structured group or individual session following the death of someone in the organization or a known associate. Through this, we assist people in understanding their own reactions of grief as well as creating an atmosphere of openness and dialogue around the circumstances of the death.

Crisis Management Briefing is usually a large group intervention used before, during and after the crisis to present facts, facilitate a short, controlled discussion, Q & A, and information on stress survival skills or other available support services. This may be repeated as the situation changes.

Critical Incident Adjustment Support involves multi-faceted psychological assistance to individuals, families, and groups for coping with the aftermath of a traumatic incident or overcoming the impact of a death or injury.

Pre-Crisis Education is what provides a foundation for CISM services. It includes comprehensive incident awareness, crisis response strategies and develops stress management coping skills that can prevent major problems should an incident occur.  It takes the form of an employee handbook, e-book and workshops, and training seminars.