January 4, 2013

It is our desire to continue to broaden our educational capabilities as well as offer new services available to ICISF Members, ICISF Registered Teams and all of those with an interest in Critical Incident Stress Management.

ICISF is excited to announce several new programs to be introduced during calendar year 2013. Click on the links below for additional information or to email ICISF staff. Throughout the coming months, more details will be posted here on the ICISF website.    

12TH WORLD CONGRESS ON STRESS TRAUMA & COPING

• Be sure to register on or before January 27 to take advantage of Advance registration rates. Fees increase on January 28.
• Just added: 2-Day Post-Congress Workshop, ICISF's Managing School Crises: From Theory to Application, taught by Barbara J. Ertl, LPC, CTS. Scheduled for February 25 & 26, 8:00am-4:30pm, the Hilton Baltimore. Go to the Post-Congress Workshop page of the 12th World Congress website for full details and registration information.
• The deadline to nominate a deserving individual or organization for an ICISF award is Monday, January 7. Award categories and nominating instructions are posted on the Award Nominations page of the 12th World Congress website.

NEW ICISF COURSES:

Send questions to Terri Pazornick ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

• ICISF/NOVA Bridge Program (2 days) - For those with NOVA training - This course meets curriculum requirements of ICISF's Group Crisis Intervention course and ICISF's Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support course.
•  Delivering Bad News (1 day)
• Suicide Awareness for Non- Mental Health Professionals (1 day)
• Advanced Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support 
• Resilience in Healthcare: Performance, Meaning and Connection (1day)

NEW APPROVED INSTRUCTOR (AI) CANDIDATE TRAINING PROGRAMS:

Send questions to Kate Looram ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

• Suicide Awareness for Non-Mental Health Professionals AI Program 
• NOVA to ICISF Bridge AI Program 
• Workplace Violence AI Program
• Advanced Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support AI Program
• Psychological First Aid

NEW CERTIFICATE OF SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAM TRACK:

Send questions to Michelle Parks ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

• Health Care Track 2013

REGIONAL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:

• New courses to be scheduled
• Core, Specialty & Elective courses at every location
• Schedule will be posted on the ICISF website soon.

CONTINIUNG EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES:

Send questions to Michelle Parks ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

• CEUs for Nursing pending
• Does your profession have a national organization that offers CEUs? Please let Michelle Parks know. ICISF already offers CEUs for Psychologists (through APA), Social Workers & Marriage & Family Therapists (through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences), EAP Professionals (through EACC), and Addiction Counselors (through NAADAC).

ICISF WEB SITE NEW POSTINGS

Send us information to post on our website, such as:

• ICISF Partner Events: Training programs, awards programs that will be open for registration/attendance
• Links to CISM team websites.  Send questions to George Grimm ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
• Posting of Crisis Management related articles
• International participation
• Send questions and/or items you'd like to have posted to Don Howell ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

ICISF CISM TEAM MEMBERSHIP:

Send questions to Michelle Parks ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Membership is now available to all active members of CISM teams.

QUARTERLY LIFENET NEWSLETTER:

Send questions to Michelle Parks ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Looking for articles and team spotlights.

NEW SHINING STAR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PROGRAM:

Send questions to Michelle Parks ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Quarterly acknowledgement of a "Shining Star" within the field of CISM.

ICISF FACEBOOK PAGE:

Send questions to Don Howell ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )  

In our efforts to reach out to our ever-expanding community on every possible level, we're establishing a social media presence. We hope this will open up two-way communication, help to keep you better informed about our programs, and help you to reach out to us with questions, ideas and comments.

  Like us on Facebook!      

2012-2014 STRATEGIC PLAN

The 2012-2013 strategic plan is available here  

We look forward to hearing from you with any questions about the new initiatives we have planned for 2013, and to meeting your CISM training and education needs in the coming months. Happy New Year!

Sincerely,  

Donald R.  Howell

Executive Director

International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.

FRIDAY       December 14, 2012
 
On Friday, December 14th, 2012, the CT CISM Team received a call shortly before noon, requesting assistance in dealing with what was a developing large scale event.  A gunman had shot numerous adults and children inside the Sandy Hook Elementary School, directly adjacent to a fire house.  Once the school had been cleared by Police, the remaining 600+ students were evacuated to the fire house and reunited with their parents.

A leadership team from the CT CISM Team assembled at the town's EMS Headquarters several miles away, as the chaos at the local fire house was not conducive to planning or the potential interventions that were anticipated.  In addition, early on diffusing sessions were conducted at the EMS HQ by additional CT CISM Team members.

Contacts were made with all affected agency chiefs including the Police (both State and Local), Fire, EMS, Town Dispatchers, School System, and Town Government.  Direct exposure to victims by local Fire and EMS personnel were limited - only two ambulances transported patients, and one adult injured person walked to the fire house and was treated there.  Local and State Police had significant exposure, including several of the Newtown Police Officers who had the unbearable task of checking each victim immediately to determine possible EMS action.  Fire personnel had exposure to the parents trying to be reunited with their children - trying, because for 20 parents who came to look for their kids the news was devastating.  

Media, well intentioned visitors, and even free-lancing social support workers descended upon the town.  The CT CISM Team brought in more of its members when various specialties or background peer support members were needed.  In all, approximately 50 Emergency Services Personnel (ESP) were contacted Friday.
 
SATURDAY        December 15, 2012

Saturday the Team provided individual support, and facilitated a large diffusing for emergency services personnel - more than one hundred attended including EMS, Fire, Police and even some Federal Agents assigned to the investigation.
 
SUNDAY     December 16, 2012

Today a small session was conducted by several CT CISM Team members for specific follow-up.

MONDAY    December 17, 2012

A debriefing is planned for tomorrow evening.  The CT CISM Team has 15 members set to properly handle the event.  It is anticipate that there will be no further scheduled interventions, but anticipate individual requests for some time up to and including anniversary sessions.

A message of Appreciation
 

It is with great appreciation that the CT CISM Team thanks all other teams and individuals for their outpouring of support over the past few days.  Knowing that additional help was a phone call away has helped manage our own stress.
 
The Team will be conducting a full debriefing for all CT CISM Team members who have participated in this or any other interventions throughout the year mid-week.
 
Should any additional support be needed, we will reach out, and thank all who did not volunteer themselves as the logistics for this crisis have been overwhelming.
 
Charles Epstein
 
Team Coordinator
Connecticut CISM Team, Inc.

The CT CISM Team will be writing up a report of the planning and interventions used for the ICISF Members Newsletter.

12/14/2012-Tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Connecticut

The Connecticut CISM Team, Inc. is currently managing/coordinating the CISM Response within the state for this tragic incident.

-They are a seasoned and well-disciplined team.

-The leadership know their limits and they know when to ask for supplemental resources.

-They have set up their integrated Incident Command System.

-They are performing the necessary field and personnel assessments.

-They are developing the appropriate time lines and actions (CISM Interventions) as anticipated and needed.

-ICISF shall be in constant contact with their Command Post the next several days.

To that end, there is NO need nor formal request for outside assistance at the present time. Please do not add to an already hectic situation by self-deploying.

Should you have the skill set and willingness to potentially assist in the next several days, you may e-mail me at   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and provide:

Your Name:

Contact Information:

CISM Skill Sets:

Special/Supplemental Skill Sets:

ICISF shall develop a list of agencies/personnel that Connecticut CISM may reach out to if needed.

Links that may be useful:

Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters

Thank you for your interest in CISM and ICISF.

Warmest regards,

Donald R. Howell

Executive Director     

Businesses invest in police support Teams

(10/27/12-Pennsylvania)

The Berks Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police recently thanked business owners who contributed a total of $6,000 to buy the jackets and to pay to train new members of FOP Member Support Team, said Daniel Billings, coordinator of the critical incident stress management program.

The team, which has been active since 1989, is the longest-serving police support group in Pennsylvania, Billings said.

It consists of mental health professionals and police officers from various Berks County departments. The team conducts crisis-management briefings and provides stress-reduction and other counseling services to officers in need.

International Association of Chiefs of Police, Peer Support Guidelines ratified by IACP Police Psychological Services Section

(Chicago: IACP, 2011)