NCJ Number
220098
Journal
THE POLICE CHIEF Volume: 74 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2007 Pages: 94,96,101
Date Published
August 2007
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) system and its effectiveness as a crisis response tool for law enforcement.
Abstract
Crisis Incident Stress Management (CISM) is an effective and valuable crisis intervention system that can mitigate the impact of traumatic incidents on police officers and other emergency responders. When applied appropriately and within the scope of its design by trained personnel, CISM is effective in assisting individuals and groups in crisis. CISM is an integrated, multi-component crisis intervention system. The system contains a range of specific intervention tools spanning the spectrum of crisis experience, from before the incident to after the crisis has been resolved. Each tool, when applied appropriately and within the scope of its design by trained CISM personnel, is effective in crisis. CISM represents a new generation of collective intervention strategies that focus on managing the stressors of the job. Among the intervention tools are preincident education which provides an introductory overview of stress, basic stress management techniques, and examples of when CISM might be helpful. A goal of CISM is to educate officers that the signs and reactions generated by critical incidents are normal reactions to abnormal situations. The article demonstrate three aspects of CISM: how the system applies recognized crisis intervention principle to the high-risk/high-exposure population of law enforcement; how its interventions effectively encourage personnel to talk about these critical events; and how research supports its effectiveness. Notes