NCJ Number
199431
Journal
Sheriff Volume: 53 Issue: 3 Dated: May-June 2001 Pages: 36-37
Date Published
May 2001
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This article describes features of "Critical Incident Stress Management" (CISM), which is a process for assisting responders and victims alike in the effective management of stressors associated with traumatizing critical incidents.
Abstract
In a formal CISM response, officers participate in one or more stress-management sessions; for example, in the case of the Oklahoma City bombing, responders about to go to the scene were first briefed on what to expect. At the completion of the officers' shift or at the end of the incident, officers are advised of the variety of reactions they might experience in the coming hours or even days. This debriefing may be done in a large, often mixed group. The next day, usually within 12 hours of their incidents but after the individual officers have had a chance to rest, it may be advisable to bring together a small group to assist each other in finding psychological closure to an incident. Individual and family assistance may also be needed. Officers, their agencies, and their legal counsel should appreciate the importance of emotional support under traumatizing conditions. Evidentiary privileges, similar to the attorney-client privilege and husband-wife privilege against testimony, apply to confidentiality for what is discussed during peer-group sessions and in one-on-one debriefings under Federal and certain State laws. Officers and agency command staff are encouraged to discuss issues that relate to critical incident stress debriefing with both departmental support personnel, such as chaplains and with legal counsel, to determine the status of such privileges in their own jurisdictions.