Essay On Critical Incident Stress Debriefing

Individuals who experience, or even just witness, a disaster can have a range of reactions from deep grief and sadness to extreme anxiety or anger. These are all normal reactions to traumatic events, and can be alleviated over time with understanding and support. Myers (n.d.) defines individual trauma as a sudden blow to the psyche that breaks through a person’s defenses so that they can no longer respond effectively (p. 1). Disaster trauma can effect an individual cognitively, physically, emotionally, behaviorally, and spiritually (Meggert, 2014, Collective trauma she defines as a blow to the social fabric, leaving individuals without the psychological support family and community can provide (p. 1). Recovery after a community-wide disaster can be extremely difficult because of the lack of communal support. People can benefit from the empathy and acuity assessment provided by mental health workers as part of a disaster relief team.

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) is a small-group crisis intervention process that was developed in 1974 to help first responders exposed to traumatic disaster events (Mitchell, n.d., p. 2). The purpose of the debriefing is to discuss feelings about and reactions to the traumatic event in a supportive environment, thereby reducing stress and facilitating recovery (Mitchell, n.d., p. 2).

On the phone lines I never know what the next caller will need: a suicide intervention, emotional support for grief, or emergency shelter for the night. My job is to focus on the immediate need and help them find resources, while at the same time listening actively to their stories and expressing empathy. In addition, I assess for long-term need and am able to make mental health referrals if the caller is open to counseling. I imagine I would use many of these skills in disaster relief work as