A Synopsis of Trainings Offered
*Starting next year I will be rolling out a seminar on challenges and resilience for pastors and chaplains.
How to be resilient and resilient leadership in challenging times
These are very challenging times for first responders. It is a challenging time for any and all who experience stressful situations day in and day out. Stress can kill, and we know that. But more insidious is how stress slowly erodes us from being our best and most resilient.
Much of the current research of people involved in traumatic incidents finds that large numbers of those affected by the incident will recover without experiencing debilitating mental health issues.
This course identifies risk factors that might impede resiliency; What predicts psychological resilience following a traumatic incident; and strategies to build resilience and facilitate recovery. This course is most often offered as a half day course, but has been adapted as a keynote presentation and a full day course.
Concepts and Practices in Peer Support for First Responders
With the increased scrutiny and number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, a well trained peer support team is critical for providing a healthy department or agency. The accumulation of stress which comes from responding to critical incidents takes it’s toll on all first responders. This course begins by discussing why trained peers are effective, as well as risk factors to well being and current statistics of the impact of a career of stress are presented. In this training crisis communication techniques are reviewed, as well as special considerations and best practices following a line-of-duty death. How to conduct a debriefing is also covered. The latest research on how to foster resilience and resilient leadership are covered as well as how peer support team members might foster resilience for themselves. Time is built into this full day class to discuss problems/issues related to peer support that are experienced in the field. Several specific scenarios are used to make the training more effective.
Advanced Debriefing Practice and Techniques
This one-day class is for those who have been out in the field participating as a member of a debriefing team. In this very full one-day class, a review of the debriefing process is covered as well as best practice do’s and don’ts. Complicated debriefings are covered as well as keys to managing significantly delayed interventions. Multiple Incident CISDs are covered as well as Line-of-Duty Death Debriefings. Most of the day is spent in practicing a wide range of debriefing scenarios. Throughout the day time is also allotted for discussing challenges that you might be experiencing in providing these interventions in the field.
Jail Suicide Assessment, Prevention, and Postvention
This course examines the problem of jail suicides, and presents the latest information on how to best assess & screen an inmate for Suicide risk. Suicide prevention plans are presented as well as effective crisis communication techniques for dealing with an inmate who is suicidal. Models for debriefing are also discussed for use in the aftermath of a suicide. In addition, crisis communication strategies for working with people suffering from mental illness are presented. The final portion of the training focuses on correction officer resilience to help corrections officers stay healthy on the job and into their retirement.
This training draws from the latest research and best practice information from a large number of sources including the Department of Justice. This training includes discussion, group exercises, and powerful video scenario vignettes as a part of the training.
CISM: Group Crisis Intervention
This course is designed to present the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multi-component crisis intervention curriculum. This two day course prepares participants to understand a wide range of crisis support services, on-scene support services, crisis intervention for individuals, demobilizations after large scale traumatic incidents, small group defusings and the group crisis intervention known as Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. This course specifically prepares participants to provide several of these interventions, specifically demobilizations, defusings, crisis management briefings, and Critical Incident Stress Debriefings, (CISD). The need for appropriate follow up services and referrals when necessary is also described. This is a 14 contact hour, two day class.
CISM: Emotional and Spiritual Care in Disaster Operations
The purpose of this course is to enhance the skills of clergy, chaplains, mental health professionals, and trained crisis responders to provide effective emotional and spiritual care to meet the disaster related needs of disaster responders and disaster affected families and individuals within disaster operations by integrating CISM principles, interventions, and practical care. This course builds on the crisis intervention principles taught in the CISM courses: Individual & Peer Support and Group Crisis intervention.
Upon completion of this course the participant will be able to : Articulate the role of the ES caregiver from one’s own faith tradition and the elements of ESC provided in a pluralistic disaster environment; Clearly define the role and function of the ES caregiver within the Incident Command System and disaster relief operation; Identify the physical, psychological, emotional, interpersonal and spiritual impact of disasters; Provide emotional and spiritual care to disaster survivors, first responders and relief workers through a multifaceted range of ESC interventions; Assess one’s own suitability to provide ESC within the trauma and disaster context; Identify a personal self-care plan for maintaining one’s own emotional, physical, and spiritual health during deployment. This is a 13 contact hour, two day course.
Making Compassionate Death Notifications
The death notification seminar, explores several aspects of what it means to make a compassionate, effective death notification. In addition to exploring who should be a notifier, issues of stress are discussed. Critical Incident Stress and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as it relates to those who make the notification are covered in the material. There are also Crisis Intervention Communication exercises, what to say and do and what NOT to say and do when making death notifications. A number of death notification scenarios are presented and discussed. Because making death notifications can be very stressful, the training concludes with officer self-care and resilience. This training uses a number of video clips, group exercises, role play, and discussion as a part of the training.
Crisis Communications
This crisis communications course first explores how crisis communication is different than normal communication. A wide variety of crisis communication techniques are discussed and practiced. The importance of Body language and the use of touch are discussed as well as how differences in one’s cultural background affect crisis communication. The course also examines practical applications for using crisis communications, especially in making compassionate death notifications. It also examines the special issues that are presented in working with families whose loved ones have committed suicide.
This is an interactive course that utilizes lecture, small group work, role play scenarios, video and audio to present the material. As a supplement what is called the SAFER-R model for crisis intervention will be discussed.
CISM: Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support
This is the best first CISM course to take, and a prerequisite to most other CISM course offerings. Crisis intervention is NOT psychotherapy, but rather a specialized acute emergency mental health intervention which required specialized training. As physical first aid is to surgery, crisis intervention is to psychotherapy. Most of the crisis intervention that is done is done individually, (one-to-one). This course is designed to teach participants the fundamentals of, and a specific protocol for, individual intervention. This is a 13 contact hour, two day class.
CISM: Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support & Group Crisis Intervention
This 3-day course combines ALL of the content of ICISF’s Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support & Group Crisis Intervention courses. Completion of this combined course and receipt of a certificate indicating full attendance (27 hours) qualifies as two CORE classes in ICISF’s Certificate of Specialized Training Program.
Helping Families of Suicide Victims
This course is designed for those who find themselves working with the families of suicide victims. The course addresses the special needs of these victims, and teaches ways to help to provide the appropriate psychological first aid crucial to those so deeply affected by suicide. Crisis communication techniques are presented and practiced, as well as what to say and what not to say to. Group exercises, role play scenarios, and video vignettes add to the training. This training is available in both a half-day as well as a full day format.
The Changing Face of Crisis and Disaster Mental Health Intervention
This is a competency update course
The field of crisis and disaster mental health intervention is rapidly changing. Keeping up with the current research and changes can be difficult, at best. The purpose of this workshop is to provide participants with an integrated synopsis of program innovations, consensus reviews, and research findings relevant to crisis and disaster mental health intervention. As the ICISF curriculum has undergone significant changes in the last 12 months, this workshop is offered as a “one stop shopping” opportunity to gain the latest information on issues and changes that are essential to the domains of critical incident stress management, crisis and disaster response.
This is a one-day competency based workshop that will serve to satisfy ICISF requirements for ICISF trained trainers and those seeking certificates of advanced training. This workshop is intended for anyone who has an interest in crisis and disaster mental health intervention. This is a one-day, 7 contact hour course.