Office of Work-Life Programs - Critical Incident Stress Management (4/30/12)

Critical Incident Stress Management | Cops Alive | Police Stress and ... (1/12/12)

If we carry stress especially after a critical incident the stress can ... PROFESSIONALCOUNSELING – delivering mental health care to .... admin. January 15th, 2012 at 11:57 am. Hi Danny,. Thanks for the great resources!

After Workplace Violence Incident, Mental Health Resources a Must 5/30/12

…. said it can be necessary for companies to offer multiple group counseling sessions or "debriefings" for employees that allow them to discuss trauma and process their emotions.

Experts say employers that hold debriefings should make sure that such discussions are helping employees rather than harming them.

"If debriefing sessions turn into complaints about the company, it really fosters a lot of negativity,

Supnick said companies should try to schedule debriefing sessions when employees seem ready to discuss the situation, rather than forcing workers to talk immediately after workplace violence.

Interventions for the Prevention of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Disorder in Adults After Exposure to Psychological Trauma(06/06/12)
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Psychological Debriefing, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, and Critical Incident Stress Management. Psychological debriefing interventions aim to educate ...

Specific psychological interventions that have been studied for the prevention of adult PTSD are described below and include the following: psychological debriefing interventions, including critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) and critical incident stress management (CISM);……

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing: An Exploratory Study of Social Workers' Preferred Models of CISM and Experiences of CISD in New Zealand (5/29/12 - New Zealand)

This research identifies important themes in critical incident stress management from a social work perspective. Fifteen social workers responded to an advertisement in the national professional newsletter asking about social workers' recent experiences of critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) as an intervention. Their preferred models of critical incident stress management (CISM) were then discussed. Thirteen participants were interviewed, ten of whom had the dual experience as a debriefer and as a social worker who had been debriefed following a “critical event.” Those who had dual experience of facilitating debriefings and being debriefed, commented from both sets of experience. There was overwhelming support for Mitchell's model of CISM. The social workers interviewed thought Mitchell's seven staged model of CISD as an intervention needed to be offered within an integrated CISM policy that could be adapted to the specific field of social work in which the participant was working. Strengths-based principles were considered important to build into a CISM policy with debriefing being an option rather than a compulsory organizational support. The role of individual ongoing clinical supervision was seen as an essential part of an integrated CISM policy complementing the provision of CISD through an ongoing relationship.

“Psychological Debriefings – Not Only After a Piracy Attack” (5/30/12)

As we all know, the IMO Marine Shipping Circular 1334 requires the Master to conduct a Psychological Trauma Debriefing. For those of you, who have missed this important guideline the exact wording, is as follows:

Post Incident Follow Up; the ship-owner should be aware that the seafarer may suffer from trauma or similar condition after being victimized under an attack from pirates or armed robbers. An important first step in reducing the risk from trauma is for masters to debrief crew immediately after the attack or release of a vessel in order to get crew to confront their experiences.

Conducting a good and robust debriefing requires not only skills, but specific and essential training. Therefore it seems unrealistic just to expect that all Master, owners, SSO and CSO are capable to arrange and conduct a psychological debriefing. There are many aspects in obtaining the correct debriefing technique and worst case would be the contrary outcome, which could damage more and definitely not support the individual seafarer, who is in need for a mind-clarification after having been subject to a piracy attack – or more realistically a serious accident.

There is much more to a psychological debriefing than just recapping a series of events. Letting steam out, building a common picture and applying psychological support to the crew-members are just some of the essential elements and the most optimal debriefing consist of 6 structured phases, which should be known to each de-briefer. These phases are; Introduction, facts, thoughts, emotional, support and termination.

However, looking at the maritime industry it is difficult to find training or courses, where debriefing techniques are included.

The benefit of Psychological Debriefing Technique training is also visible in any severe post-accident case.

General's remarks about suicide "upsetting" (5/25/12 - Texas)

On this Memorial Day when military leaders around the world honor fallen troops, one Army general has retracted a blog post stating he is "fed up" with soldiers who commit suicide, calling it "an absolutely selfish act." "Wednesday, we lost a Fort Bliss Soldier to an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. I heard the tragic news as I walked out of a memorial service for another one of our Soldiers who decided to kill himself at home on Christmas Day so that his family would find him. Christmas will never be the same for his two young daughters he left behind," Pittard wrote at the time.

He continued, "I have now come to the conclusion that suicide is an absolutely selfish act. Soldiers who commit suicide leave their families, their buddies and their units to literally clean up their mess. There is nothing noble about suicide."

Later in the post Pittard wrote "I am personally fed up with Soldiers who are choosing to take their own lives so that others can clean up their mess. Be an adult, act like an adult, and deal with your real-life problems like the rest of us."

Oakbrook Terrace chief: Fire, shootings was 'traumatizing' (1/19/12 - Illinois)

Oakbrook Terrace Fire Chief Gregory Sebesta said he is carefully monitoring his personnel for signs of critical incident stress after they responded Tuesday to the scene of four fatal shootings and a fire in unincorporated DuPage County.

He said he has made fire district employees aware of services available from the Northern Illinois Critical Incident Stress Management Team, which offers tips such as getting extra rest, spending time with others and alternating periods of exercise with relaxation to ease physical symptoms. Sebesta said counselors also can be made available if emergency responders need someone to talk with.

Fire Chief Mark Duski, of Villa Park and Fire Chief Andy Bonomo, of the York Center Fire Protection District helped provide stress management services while Sebesta was still busy with the fire.

“We're still human,” Sebesta said. “We still have physical setbacks; we still have emotional setbacks.”

Sometimes stress caused by responding to a scene like Tuesday's blaze won't manifest for several months, similar to post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by some military personnel, Sebesta said.