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The CISM program offers support before, during, and after a crisis to emergency professionals and their families.
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| The Intervention Process |
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The CISM program utilizes the following approach in accordance with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation Model
- Pre-incident Education: Pre-incident traumatic stress education is the most important component of CISM. The primary aim of stress education is to establish a protective barrier against traumatic stress and to teach stress management strategies so individuals can quickly reduce and eliminate significant stress generated by traumatic events.
- Defusing: This intervention typically occurs in the range of 3-12 hours post incident for those who were on the front lines. It offers an opportunity for ventilation, normalization, and education.
- Crisis Management Briefing: Using community leaders and others, this intervention has many applications to help mitigate stress reactions, assist in recovery, and provide local resources.
- Individual "1-on-1's": These are the most common intervention services we provide. These are often conducted by team members shortly after a critical incident, but occur at other times, as well. Individuals needing on-going psychological support will be referred for assessment to appropriate local mental health professionals.
- Psychological Debriefing: The formal seven-stage debriefing is utilized based upon assessment of need and usually held within 1-10 days after the conclusion of the incident.
- Follow-up and Family Services: This is a means by which we "touch base" to see if things are going well. This is another area where we rely heavily on our trained mental health professionals and seek to find local resources that will allow them to return to effective functioning or the "new normal."
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