United States
Search and Rescue Task Force

Critical Incident Stress Management Training
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The Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) training is sponsored throughout the year by the U.S. SAR Task Force at various locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.
Please note that both of the courses below must be taken prior to being able to join and actively conduct CISM.
Should you have a group that is interested in this training, we can arrange to train your group privately. For further information on this intensive and much needed training, please contact our headquarters at: 215-922-7225 or forward an e-mail to us at: ussartf@ussartf.org
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Basic CISM Course Agenda
This 14 hour training program is designed to present the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multi-component crisis intervention curriculum. It prepares participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services including pre and post incident crisis education, significant other support services, on-scene support services, crisis intervention for individuals demobilizations after large scale traumatic incidents, small group defusings and the group intervention known as Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). This program specifically prepares participants to provide several of these groups crisis interventions, specifically demobilizations, defusings and the CISD. The need for appropriate follow up services and referrals when necessary is also discussed. Considerable evidence gathered to date strongly supports the multi-component crisis intervention strategy which is discussed in this program. The program consists of the following agenda:
Critical Incident Stress Management
Stress
Stress Management
Traumatic Stress
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)
Defusings
Demobilizations
CISM Team Formation
Serious Mistakes
Hands-On-Exercises
This program meets the guidelines and criteria of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. It has also been accepted for meeting the training requirements of many organizations on a state and national level.
Student manual and certificate are included.
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CISM Course Agenda
Individual Crises Intervention and Peer Support
This 13 hour training program is designed to present specialized acute emergency mental health intervention. As physical first-aid is to surgery, crisis intervention is to psychotherapy. Thus, crisis intervention is sometimes referred to as "emotional first-aid". Most crisis intervention is done individually (one-on-one). This program is designed to teach participants the fundamentals of, and a specific protocol for, individual crisis intervention and increase emergency mental health skills.
The program consists of the following agenda:
Critical Incident Stress Management and Peer Support
Basic Terminology and Concepts in Crises Intervention
Crises Communication Techniques
Psychological Reactions to Crises and Trauma
Intervention Protocol to Assist Individuals in Crises
Common Problems Encountered Working With Individuals in Crises
Hand-On-Exercises
This program meets the guidelines and criteria of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. It has also been accepted for meeting the training requirements of many organizations on a state and national level.
Student manual and certificate are included.
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