Workshops A: 1:45pm – 3:15pm

EMS in Crisis: How Much Stress is “Too Much”? A Study of Paramedic Work Overload & Burnout
Robert T. Scott, PhD & Mark Woolf FF/PM  

Of the 316,766 yearly 911 incidents at LAFD, 80% of the calls to the fire department are EMS. A self-report study was initiated to measure paramedic stress, fatigue & burnout.  The results of this pilot investigation & recommendations for a national review or investigation of urban paramedic stress/work over overload are presented.

Vicarious Traumatization: How to NOT Become the Poster Child for VT 
Therese A. Cobb, MSW, Bruce Ramsay, CTR, TFT dx, District Chief Vaughn Donaldson,EMT-P, BCETS  & Special Agent Joy Branch

What is it about the work we do that puts us in danger of becoming the victim when all we want to do is be the rescuer? Four experienced trauma providers show that self-care cannot be put on the back burner. Good trauma providers practice & model behaviors that protect against VT, but total immunization is not possible.

Seven Necessary Elements in Making CISM a Vital Weapon in a Smaller, Smarter Military
Jonathan M. Hartiens, PhD

Commanding Officers have increasingly requested CISM interventions to minimize  acute stress casualties & accelerate the commands’ normal recovery process. This presentation addresses why CISM is necessary for maintaining military readiness in a smaller, smarter military. Seven elements that have helped make CISM a vital weapon at US Naval Hospital Sigonella, Italy will be discussed.
 

Prepare... Practice - Designing CISM into School Sponsored Drills
Mary C. Schoenfeldt & Nina Johnson

A school comprehensive crisis/disaster response program includes testing the plan. As drills & exercises become an integral part of school preparedness, so does CISM.  This workshop introduces the stages of exercise development, integration of CISM & key preventative strategies for non-traumatization of participants.  

Hurricane Floyd, The Hundred Year Flood
Cheryl M. Leonard, MPA, EMT, SERT, Andrew W. Goodwin, LTC, SERT, Deborah L. Leonard, MPA, SERT

The North Carolina CISM Team reviews the experience gained when planning a CISM response for  local, state, & federal responders during the flood resulting from Hurricane Floyd in Sept. 1999.  The flood has required a long-term response & numerous CISM interventions.  Cooperation with state & federal agencies will be highlighted.  
 

The Teaching Phase - Back Pocket Intervention Skills 
Peter F. Volkmann, MSW, CSW

In any crisis intervention the teaching phase can instill a shift in the interpretation of the traumatic experience. Such a powerful moment can be overwhelming. This workshop is designed to instill “back pocket” skills the interventionist may pull out when needed.
 

Traumatic Incident Stress Management: A Team Approach in State Government & the Corporate World
Sandra Johnson, MSW, ACSW, CEAP

Explore the Michigan experience of setting up a successful volunteer team of approximately 150 ICISF-trained employees who provide a continuum of services to  60,000+ governmental employees. Standards of care for staff from the prisons, social services, psychiatric centers, parks & natural resources, as well as general employees who experience traumatic events at work are discussed.

Scenes of Compassion
Capt. Tim W. Dietz, EMT-P

Participants explore emotionally charged events to give insight to the profound effect they have on those in crisis. Learn simple tools for mitigation & recovery for civilians & emergency workers including dealing successfully with human emotional crisis, & developing skills for scene control & mitigation (police, EMS, fire, chaplains, hospital staff).
 

Spiritual Assessment and Intervention
Thomas E. Webb, Th.M

Participants engage in a guided discussion of how to assess the spiritual impact of a traumatic event & the “tools” that can be employed to restore one’s spiritual homeostasis. Emphasis is placed on defining a theological/operational construct for providing crisis intervention to meet spiritual needs of traumatized individuals.  
 

Post Critical Incident Seminar (PCIS): Advanced CISM
Vincent J. McNally, MPS, CEAP, BCETS

Learn about the Post Critical Incident Seminar (PCIS) utilized by the FBI’s EAP to assist Special Agents, support employees and family members as a follow-up to CISM.
 

CISM Tools for Survival: The 911 Professional
Janet Childs & Debbie Schembri

The Bay Area CISM Team found that 911 dispatchers are faced with unique stress issues, particularly with the advent of EMD, & the “customer service” philosophy adopted by many communications centers, which can add another overlay in the stress mix. This workshop identifies specific stressors for dispatch & explores innovative responses for communications personnel.
 

Elephant Ears, Owl Eyes & Lion Hearts: A Developmental Approach to Working with Students, K-12
Wendy Silverthorne, LCSW & Jodi Wicks, MS

Learn a developmental approach for working with students impacted by trauma. The importance of listening (Elephant Ears); watching for  student’s at-risk (Owl Eyes) & having the courage to provide emotional support (Lion Hearts) will be emphasized. A comparison of grief work vs. trauma response, proven activities for working with children, suggestions for after the traumatic event & identifying “at-risk” students are also covered.  

The Military Response to Critical Incidents
Bryce LeFever, PhD

This workshop focuses on military readiness in CISM, the management of psychiatric casualties, the application of Demobilization to combat operations, & innovations for difficult debriefings.  
 

CRISIS: Caregivers Responding in Situations Involving Suicide (& sudden loss)
Barbara Rubel, MA, CPBC, CBS

Learn about the C.R.I.S.I.S. model & program. Explore: the needs of suicide survivors; traumatic reactions to unanticipated loss; immediate grief crisis intervention;  death notification to survivors; suicide survivor’s unique grief; the value of survivor support groups; risk factors of suicide; & suggestions for helping child suicide survivors.
 

Principles of group process work are presented as they apply to delivery of defusings & debriefings. A sound rationale for holding to the ICISF model is rooted in group process theory. Common situations that cause difficulties in defusings & debriefings are presented & group process techniques for handling them are discussed.

CISM interventions with SWAT Teams, Bomb Squads, HazMat Units, USAR Teams, & other specialists are addressed in this session.
 

CISM in EAP: A Case for Business
Patricia N. Alexander, PhD, LMHC, 

CISM & EAP services are integral partners that can work together to provide business & industry with assistance during a critical incident.  This presentation highlights the shared philosophy & goals of the two services while pointing out the need for understanding some of the unique components in interface of CISM with the EAP.  

Cancelled

Falls Church City (VA) Public Schools organized a Safety Committee to develop a crisis intervention plan for each of its schools. Examine the development of the plan & its implementation when two students died in a one-week period. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences with school crises, their school plans, & the lessons they have learned.

Your CISM Team is Up and Running... Now What?
Tammi D. Kolski, MS, LLP, EMT

For people in leadership positions on CISM teams. Learn from each other & the presenter about team maintenance, team building/nurturing, & how to recruit new team members once your CISM team is up & running.
 

Workshops C: 1:45pm – 3:15pm

C1

The Bulletproof Mind: Mental Preparation for Combat 
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

Col. Grossman teaches about: The psychological cost of conflict; the physiology & psychology of a conflict situation; the resistance to killing in every healthy human; non-firers throughout history; a revolution in combat (use of training to overcome the resistance to killing, & how it is being done to our kids); how to use training to prevent “overkill” tragedies; how it feels to kill (reaction stages to killing); & overcoming survivor guilt.

Adapting CISM to the Schools: The Long Beach Model
Joanne Tortorici Luna, PhD, BCSCR, Kendall Johnson, PhD, BCSCR, MS, James P. Norman, PhD, DD & Karen T. Hilburn, MA , D/C Anthony W. Batts

Inner city schools are frequently the site of crisis.  Although schools, law enforcement, & fire agencies have distinct cultures & needs, they share a common goal: the safety & well-being of the communities they serve.  This presentation describes how discrete efforts in CISM merge to form a Multi-Agency Crisis Response Team.

Lending a Hand: Integrating Massage Therapy with CISM  
Johnna M. McCullough, NCTMB, PhD, BCSCR

Learn the history of Massage Therapy in disaster relief efforts. Explore how Massage Therapy & CISM, together, can mitigate stress reactions.
 

The Worcester Story
Lt. John Brown

Learn about the Mass. Dept. of Fire Services Incident Support Unit response to Worcester on Dec. 3, 1999,  which continues today.  Emphasis will be placed on the invaluable peer connection, innovative techniques used to achieve necessary personal contacts & highlights of an enormous response of CISM Mutual Aid.  

Line of Duty Deaths & Injuries Caused by Friendly Fire or Friendly Action
Kathy H. Thomas, PhD , James M. Horn, MFS, Inv. Jeff M. Robertson

The unique issues related to line of duty deaths & injuries caused by “friendly fire” have historically been ignored. This presentation will describe a team approach in responding to “friendly fire/friendly action” incidents. Personal experiences will be presented.
 

Resilience & Psychological Hardiness During the Recent Crisis in Jerusalem  
Jacinto Inbar, PhD

The workshop integrates principles of community work interventions with behavioral cognitive therapy in the development of preventive strategies for stress & anxiety management in uncertainty & high-risk situations & in community emergencies. The design of intervention programs for the development of resilience & psychological hardiness at the individual, family & community levels, & the development of preventive mechanisms & communication, cognitive, social & coping skills are stressed.
 

CISD: An Evaluation of Effectiveness
Bonnita Wirth, PhD & Assistant Chief Mel Hokanson

L.A. County Fire Dept. undertook one of the largest surveys of an urban fire service & its utilization of CISM. The survey evaluated if three of the ten interventions in the CISM program (Debriefings, Defusing, & Peer Support) were accomplishing four goals: 1) Reduction of the impact of a traumatic event; 2) Acceleration of the normal recovery process from a traumatic event; 3) Normalization of the stress response; 4) Provision of education in stress management & coping strategies.
 

The Xerox Shooting: Tactical Assessment of Departmental Dysfunction
Ana Horne, MEd, EMT, CEAP, Mandy Shiraki, MICT

Pre-incident evaluation of organizational & interagency problems can help your Team avoid, minimize, & respond to the damage they can add to a major event.  Use our lessons learned to review your Department/Team.  
 

Suicide Prevention in EMS
Beverly J. Paschal, MA, MFT & James R. Ganyon

This workshop teaches commanders, subordinates, workers & mental health professionals how to recognize symptoms of suicide & actions to reduce the number of suicide attempts & completions among EMS personnel.  
 

CISM for Safety Forces: A Statewide Approach
Chief Michael J. Haley & Charles M. Choate, CTR

Starting a statewide CISM Program for Law Enforcement can be complex. Learn of an approach that has worked for one state.  Development, implementation, & operation of the model, the Ohio Critical Incident Response Service (CIRS), are detailed.
 

The CISM & Mental Health Response to the Shootings at Columbine High School  
Nancy J. Rich, MA, LPC, CTS

Learn in detail about the first 2 years of mental health response to the Columbine community following the April 20, 1999 shootings.  From the early hours to the long-term follow-up, interventions will be discussed.  Provides information about response mobilization & management, intervention techniques & coordinating with other community agencies.

Teacher Trauma: Staff Needs Following School Emergencies
Kendall Johnson, PhD, BCSCR

CISM Teams are increasingly asked to help school staff in emergencies. School staff are at risk for direct & indirect traumatic stress. This presentation addresses their needs following crisis.  After a review of what we know about the stressors & reactions of school staff, specific applications of CISM strategies will be explored.  

Spiritual Care in Aviation & Mass Fatality Disasters
Christine “Dusty” Bowenkamp, RN, CTS

The American Red Cross has been tasked with coordinating emotional care after aviation disasters & plays a significant role in other mass fatality disasters, including mental health & spiritual care for family members, emergency workers & other agency staff. This session focuses on the role of spiritual care, from initial interventions to planning memorial services, & how the program is integrated into the overall response.

The Information Officer’s Role as it Relates to a CISM Team
Chief John M. Scholz , Laura Barnhardt

This session introduces the needs of the Media in an emergency & addresses the benefits of a timely release of valuable, pertinent information. Marketing the CISM Team’s activities prior to an emergency, & the potential for harm when the media interviews an E.S. worker prior to intervention will also be covered.  Includes a discussion of pre-emergency training of Media & the importance of recognizing that reporters transfer & accumulate stress from the details of the incident they are researching & reporting.  
 

Texas Steps Up... The Texas Corrections Model of Staff Support Teams for Critical Incident Interventions within Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice  
Marion K. Dunn, MA, Elaine C. Smith, MA & Gregg K. Hoagland

This session describes how correctional CISM differs from “traditional” paradigms. The Texas “STEP” Corrections Model, used directly with staff victims, encompasses established standards of CISM, innovations & compilations of issues facing today’s workforce. Under the umbrella of Victim Services, the program establishes a CISM system in both the corporate & correctional setting where “workplace violence” takes new meaning.  
 

Implementing Comprehensive Violence Prevention & Threat Assessment Programs in Workplace Settings  
Kenneth Wolf, PhD & Marilyn Knight, MSW

Learn policies, procedures & resources necessary to implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention program. Litigation/OSHA exposures & responses, threat reporting & assessment systems, protective options for identified targets, & training curriculums for various audiences will be discussed. Programs suitable for large & small employers & strategies to integrate local law enforcement with program operation will be described.  

Alaska Airlines Flight 261: The U.S. Coast Guard Response
Tiffani S. Collier & Kristin Gray

Presenters share the Coast Guard’s lessons learned & the challenges of coordinating a response to a large scale air disaster.  Included: working with the Incident Command Center; integration of multiple CISM teams, chaplains, & mental health professionals; importance of pre-incident training; timing & staging the CISM response; coordinating with other agencies; helping the families of traumatized personnel; & aftercare for the CISM team.  

Have You Done Your Homework?
Bill Clifford

Peer support programs have been around for some time & are doing a very important job. With your peers out doing their job, are you, as part of the management of your program, doing yours? Have you reviewed your policies & guidelines, business plan, activation procedure, pre-incident education for staff & on scene support, defusings, debriefing & reporting procedure?  
 

Would You Ask a Proctologist to Perform Brain Surgery? ATSS Certification: Recognition for Trauma Specialists  
Jayne G. Crisp, CTS, CVAS, Jo Halligan, CTS & Carol Hacker, PhD, CTS

Presenters explore professional recognition for trauma specialists, identify advantages to professional recognition in trauma specialties & present information & opportunities for ATSS certification recognition.