Dear CISM Practitioner,

ICISF has been assisting, directly and indirectly, the Emergency Operations Centers in the Gulf Coast region since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck, in providing early psychological intervention and crisis management services in the affected areas. Recently, ICISF has received two specific requests for assistance in the Gulf Coast region:

1. To provide early psychological intervention/crisis management services for Emergency Services personnel. Any interested teams that would like further information may contact the ICISF office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

2. To locate licensed Mental Health Professionals able to provide early psychological intervention/crisis management services. Interested individuals may contact the ICISF office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please indicate which of the two requests you are interested in potentially fulfilling when sending your email. Thank you.

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In today's update, we provide a link to an article about a research study conducted on the effectiveness of employer-sponsored crisis interventions after a major disaster. The results include implications applicable to post-Katrina crisis interventions. The information in this article is both timely and appropriate for those anticipating or considering deployment to the areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina. I urge you to read this article and to share it with others whom you feel could benefit from the information.

The article in today's update is being distributed with the permission of Chevron Publishing and is written by Joseph A. Boscarino, PhD, MPH, Richard E. Adams, PhD, and Charles R. Figley, PhD.
A Prospective Cohort Study of the Effectiveness of Employer-Sponsored Crisis Interventions after a Major Disaster

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Additionally, please see the announcement, below, about an important new research project. This is an opportunity for you and/or your team to participate and have an impact on the future of CISM.

ICISF is very supportive of research examining the effectiveness of the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Model. In line with that, the following exciting opportunity to participate in research is being offered to ICISF members and other interested practitioners of early psychological intervention. The preliminary materials have been presented at the ICISF 8th World Congress on Stress, Trauma & Coping and are very promising. However, more teams are needed to expand the research.

If you or your team has the time to participate with this exciting project, please review the materials via the link below. Contact J. De Gaglia, PhD, LMHC, EMT-B, ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), lead investigator, who will provide all materials and consultation. You and your team simply supply the venue and the techniques. Research done today will improve the health and welfare of the people we serve for tomorrow.

Handbook for the Collection of Research on the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Model.

 

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Coming Soon: We are in the process of setting up a web-based archive of previously sent Hurricane Katrina email updates. A link to the archive will be provided in a future email update as soon as it is available.

 

Further updates will follow as more information is obtained.

Donald Howell, Executive Director
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, In.
Ellicott City MD 21042-2272
http://www.icisf.org
410/750-9600
Fax: 410/750-9601

KAT-05-08