International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
By: Silvia Calvo Navas-ICISF Member and Approved Instructor
Moviendo Esperanzas is a non-profit organization, based in Costa Rica, dedicated through love and Compassion
Always within the realm of social assistance, we respond to emergencies that occur inside and outside the country, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, providing food packages to affected families. In the context of these emergencies, the need arose to not just provide the much needed food, but also to meet the emotional needs of those affected by critical incidents.
Thus, in 2017 and 2018, with the help of the international disaster relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse, we were trained in eight CISM courses, which allowed us to learn about the theory, techniques and practices of crisis intervention, and culminate in 2019, reaching our goal of becoming instructors in Assisting Individuals in Crisis.
We had the honor of being trained by highly qualified individuals with a lot of experience in the field, such as Roy Langer, Kevin and Jennifer Ellers, George S. Everly, and others. We also had the privilege of being trained in CISM Application with Children by our friend, Anne Balboni. We received the course for the first time in Missouri and we were so impressed with its content and with Anne’s experience and her human touch, that we decided to bring her to Costa Rica to teach the course to a group of volunteers in crisis intervention. It was an experience we will never forget.
Since we started this process, the tools and skills learned in the CISM courses have become part of our daily lives, since they apply to all areas of life. Because, after all, who has not suffered any kind of crisis in their lifetime?
This is how we learned to identify opportunities in our everyday life and put into practice the knowledge we gained – anything from a conversation on the plane with the passenger in the next seat, a phone call from a friend, our relationships with our partners, spouses and children, to more complex situations, like journeying with someone who has received a diagnosis of serious illness or has suffered the loss of a loved one.
Parallel to the two years of training, we began to form a group of volunteers in crisis intervention to respond to critical incidents both in and out of the country. Through them, we provide emotional and spiritual care to people facing crises, mostly by showing empathy, compassion and love. We go where they are and we listen, stabilize, acknowledge, facilitate and encourage them. We believe people need to be heard and need to know there is hope.
A fundamental premise is to recognize that it is not about us, but about the grieving person. We cannot solve the crises of others, we do not intend to solve their problems, but we can be there for them, side by side.
We learned the importance of connecting with people and making them feel that, when we are there with them, they are the most important thing to us and deserve our full attention. We have all, at least once in our lifetime, sat in the seat of pain, suffering and fear, and when we look back, we realize that what we value the most, and who we remember the most, were those people who were simply there, who did not judge us. They did not tell us what we should do yet did not do. They did not lecture us, but rather validated our feelings and emotions, and with their actions reflected the purest love and compassion.
Today we know that it is okay to not be okay, it is okay to cry, it is okay to not want to speak, that the different emotions experienced are normal in a crisis. In most cases, those who receive the appropriate support in a critical situation can move forward on their own, without having to resort to treatment with specialists in the area of mental health.
We seek to foster resilience in people, that is, the ability to recover quickly from the psychological disturbances associated with critical incidents.
We are not counselors, psychologists, or psychiatrists. We are people who have been trained to walk alongside those in crisis, who have learned to develop empathic listening skills, not to make judgments or draw conclusions, and to respect beliefs and values that may be different from our own.
We understand that there are many forms of communication – verbal and non-verbal languages. We understand the importance of knowing what to say and what not to say, so as not to hurt people, and that the silence of the sufferer must be respected.
Today, more than ever, we have experienced the need to be prepared to provide emotional and spiritual care in times of crisis.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the emotional vulnerability of people. No one has been exempt from experiencing crises during this atypical time that has taken us all out of our normal routines. Young people and children who were used to going to their universities, schools and colleges, are now confined to their homes twenty-four hours a day, receiving classes virtually, without the possibility of socializing or spending time with their friends. Many couples are now together all day, having to work remotely from home, which has increased tension and friction in the relationship. And furthermore, in many cases, the situation is aggravated because one or both of them may have lost their job. Seniors are becoming isolated and depressed, as a result of having to be physically distanced from their loved ones.
Not to mention the deaths of loved ones caused by COVID and not being able to say goodbye to them, the economic crises, depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts that are all on the rise. In short, the world is in crisis. The skills and abilities that are learned in the CISM courses are invaluable and every day it seems more imperative to acquire them, so we can walk on this earth without doing harm, but rather leaving an imprint of hope in people.
The most important lessons learned can be summarized in the following words: learn to listen and stay beside the person who is going through a difficult situation. Remember, it is a privilege to be there and not a right.
Finally, it is vital to take care of ourselves in order to be able to be effective in the journey of crisis intervention. Don’t forget to exercise, eat healthy, get enough sleep, cultivate healthy and positive relationships and leave room for recreation. This is how we will be prepared to continue this lofty and unparalleled calling.
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International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc is a 501(c)3 Non Profit