About the CM-CISM Team

The Central Mississippi Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CM-CISM) is a multidisciplinary group of professionals who are committed to mitigating the impact of critical incidents on those involved in providing emergency services and therefore are subject to critical incident stress. Our mission is to increase awareness of the effects of these traumatic events and to provide intervention and support for emergency service personnel.

 What is a Critical Incident?

A Critical Incident has been defined by Dr. Jeffery Mitchell as "Any situation faced by emergency service personnel that causes them to experience unusually strong emotional reactions which have the potential to interfere with their ability to function either at the scene or later... All that is necessary is that the incident, regardless of the type, generates unusually strong feelings in the emergency workers" (Mitchell, Jeffery T.; When Disaster Strikes...The Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Process; JEMS; January, 1983, pp36-39)

Critical incidents may include events such as:

• Suicides
• Death of a co-worker
• Serious injury of a partner
• Prolonged intense events
• Death or injury of a child
• Multiple casualty events
• Threats to worker safety
• Natural or man-made disasters

What is Critical Incident Stress Management?

The CM-CISM team is designed to provide interventions following critical incidents to any agency or individual within the emergency service field who requests assistance. The focus of this service is to minimize the harmful effects of a job related stress, particularly in crisis or emergency situations. Interventions are confidential and each person's feelings, concerns, and statements are respected.

The CM-CISM Team is dedicated to delivering Critical Incident Stress Management services to emergency service providers throughout Mississippi.

What are the Symptoms of Stress?

The effects of stress may result from a single event, an occasional high level of stressful exposures, or a constant low to moderate level of stress. Stress may manifest itself as:

• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Intestinal upsets
• Memory loss
• Concentration problems
• Problem solving difficulties
• Anxiety
• Unreasonable fear
• Depression
• Identification with victims
• Nightmares/sleep disturbances
• Sexual difficulties
• Substance abuse
• Flashbacks of events
• Other atypical behavior
• Unusual or misdirected anger

What does the CM-CISM Team do?

• We provide training to educate emergency service workers about Critical Incident Stress and how to prevent it.
• We will respond to requests to assist those who are or may become victims of the syndrome.
• We will conduct debriefings and defusings for emergency service agencies.
• We provide education and support services for the families of affected workers.
• We maintain referral information of mental health professionals and others who may provide additional assistance to those who continue to suffer.
• All assistance provided is strictly confidential. An affected worker may contact the Team or one of its members to receive assistance.

Defusings

Interventions performed within a few hours of a critical incident are particularly valuable in managing stress. These sessions are generally brief and provide information to emergency providers on possible effects of stress that they may experience and means to reduce undesirable side effects.

Debriefings

An intervention performed 24-72 hours after a critical incident is known as a debriefing. It is a confidential discussion of roles, thoughts, and feelings generated by the incident. It is not a critique session of clinical or operational issues related to the event.

Who does the CM-CISM Team serve?

• Law Enforcement Personnel
• Dispatchers
• Firefighters
• Emergency Department Personnel
• Emergency Medical Personnel

How do you access the CM-CISM Team?

For more information on the CISM program, or if you are interested in participating in the program, please call or write:

Central Mississippi CISM Team
c/o P.O. Box 1286
Ridgeland, MS 39158
Email

For EMERGENCIES ONLY

1.Call 1-888-267-1920

2.You will be asked to provide some basic details about the incident.

3.The CISM Coordinator will be notified. The Coordinator will contact you and activate the most appropriate team member(s) to assist you.

4.One or more team members may provide intervention services depending on the incident. All team members are trained volunteers (and emergency providers themselves) who donate their time, talent and resources to assist their peers in times of need.

The following information will be needed to determine the most appropriate CISM intervention:

1. The name of a contact person

2. Phone number of the contact person

3. Time and date of the critical event

4. Location of the incident

5. Type of event

6. Number and professional agency of involved personnel