Critical Incident Stress Management

A critical incident may be defined as “any workplace event outside the usual human experience which causes unusually strong emotional reactions.” Examples of these events may include robbery, workplace death or injury, or any event perceived as threatening to one’s well-being.

Critical incidents are traumatic and have the potential to interfere with a person’s ability to function. In addition, these events can have a long-term negative impact on the individual, as well as on the entire work team.

By offering critical incident stress management, you equip your employees with the tools they need to alleviate physical and emotional stress-related symptoms such as headaches, nightmares, depression, anxiety and anger.

Benefits of Critical Incident Stress Management

For your employees

Reduce the impact of the critical incident.
Minimize the harmful effects of stress.
Provide immediate support to your staff.
Reassure your employees that they are not alone in the situation.

Through Critical Incident Stress Management, the recovery process is accelerated and the need for additional services can be assessed. Ongoing professional counseling may still be required. Confidentiality is always maintained.

For your company

Critical Incident Stress Management also benefits your company. By offering the appropriate support to your employees, you directly and positively affect:

Productivity.
Retention of valuable staff.
Legal liability.
Team cohesion.
Employee physical and mental health (less absenteeism).

Program details

The following services are included in Critical Incident Stress Management:

Pre-assessment phone intervention.
On-site group intervention/debriefing (up to one hour).
Post-intervention one-on-one (maximum 30 minutes following group intervention as needed).
Follow-up sessions 45-minute individual sessions at one of the Parkview Employee Assistance Program sites (up to a total of three per incident).

Additional services are available on a fee-for- service basis through the Parkview Employee Assistance Program office.

An additional travel fee is charged for Critical Incident Stress Management services provided outside Allen County, Indiana.

How it works

Ideally, Critical Incident Stress Management is conducted in small groups including the people who were directly affected. These debriefings take place approximately 24 hours after the critical incident.

A structured group meeting gives staff members the opportunity to discuss their thoughts and emotions in a safe and nonjudgmental environment.

The most common interventions include initial defusing on scene, formal debriefings, follow-up services and individual consultations.

Employee Assistance Program