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Critical Incident Stress Management
The St. Clair County Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team is affiliated with the St. Clair County Office of Emergency Management, and in coordination with St. Clair County Community Mental Health.
Critical incidents may produce a wide range of stress symptoms, which can appear immediately at the scene, a few hours later or within a few days of the event. Stress symptoms usually occur in four different categories:
The more symptoms experienced, the more powerful the stress reaction has been. The longer symptoms last, the more potential there is for permanent harm. The following examples of stress symptoms can appear after a critical incident:
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When a person experiences a significant stress from a critical incident, the following steps may be helpful in reducing stress until the incident is over, or until the CISM Team is located.
What is a “Critical Incident”?
Trauma almost always involves the loss of life or threat of loss of life, which include but are not limited to:
While a CISM debriefing cannot erase the very real fear, anger and grief people naturally feel, it can accelerate healing by providing a chance to talk with people who have gone through the same event in a process led by a trained facilitator.
What is the CISM team?
The CISM Team is a group of volunteer crisis workers from Community Mental Health, Police, Fire, EMS, Schools, Clergy, and the community. All workers are skillfully trained in CISM, which is designed to respond to the emotional needs of victims of traumatic events.
What does the team do?
Within 72 hours of the incident, members of the CISM Team will conduct a debriefing with persons affected by a traumatic incident.
What is a Debriefing?
A debriefing is a structured group discussion of the event, participants reactions to the event, and information on the effects of trauma and healthy ways to cope. Research strongly indicates that early intervention of this type can greatly reduce the risk of long-term ill-effects of trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and family dysfunction.
Who can use this service?
Any group of citizens affected by a trauma may request a debriefing. The CISM Team will respond to schools, agencies, businesses, industry, and neighborhoods in time of crisis.
Is there a fee?
There is no fee charged to the recipients. Donations are accepted by community members.
How do I access the team?
You can call Community Mental Health at 810-985-8900, or the CMH Access Customer Service hotline at 888-225-4447 to request a debriefing. The incident coordinator for the CISM Team will return your call to discuss arrangements.
