What is Critical Incident Stress Management?
What is Critical Incident Stress
Management?
Most searchers join teams such as CMSART
to use their outdoor outdoor skills and spend time with others who
enjoy the outdoors, all with the goal of helping others. Groundpounders
know that not all searches have a happy ending, and they can deal with it.
Some search outcomes, though, have the potential to deeply trouble some or all
members of a team. This could include serious harm coming to a team member
during a search, or on the drive to or from a search. It could
include finding a subject in a very disturbing condition or in disturbing
circumstances. They're the incidents that intrude upon your mind or
mood for days after. Fortunately peers in the public safety community
have developed a highly effective way to help normal people having normal
reactions to abnormal events. It's not psychotherapy and it's not
touchy-feely. Take a look at the article about Critical Incident Stress
Management by expert Jeff Mitchell, "When Disaster Strikes." (Posted with
permission from JEMS. Copyright Elsevier Inc. To subscribe
>to JEMS, visit www.jems.com).
>to JEMS, visit www.jems.com).
If you want to know more, check out the
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation site (www.icisf.org) or our local CISM
team, Central Mass Critical Incident Stress Management Team (www.centralmasscism.org).
If you have concerns about how an event
has impacted you or others be sure to contact a Board
member.