International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
By: Tim Hobart
Can you remember the first critical incident response you went to? Like most of us, you probably remember it in detail.
Our team and I have responded to hundreds of critical incidents over many years and we each have our own stories to tell. For the most part they have gone well with the employees and the employers feeling good that we answered the call. However, I began to be curious about our team’s reflections. So, here we go with reflections on lessons learned from myself and a few of our team members. David said: Even before my arrival I always try to get a sense of what I’m walking into. I realize that you never know who is in a room. Everyone has a past. Past grief, past experiences, and past memories. Everyone has their own method of processing bad things. I have come to know that belief systems are really important, especially in the case of a suicide. Additionally, I’ve come to know that keeping the CISD in the present, and the issue at hand, is vital. Through the years, in some cases, not many would show up which led me to doubt the value of my work. However, I almost always have gotten the sense employees know the company and leadership really do care. I also have found it most valuable to speak with managers independently from the group. This is most often not only good for confidentiality but in building rapport.
Jeannine offered these thoughts along with along with her 5 lessons learned: I quickly learned that my experience facilitating group and individual therapy for 20 years was a hinderance to doing CISD’s. A poignant no-no I learned was to NOT sit at the table with 4-5 bank employees the morning after a robbery and ask, “how are you doing?” They will likely start to cry, and you have officially blown it. In an odd way, I have learned that doing a CISD requires a level of detachment and active avoidance of attunement. My natural inclinations when speaking to people having acute trauma responses at times do not align with CISD outlines and goals. I must remain intentional and focused on the CISD goal.
Brian chimed in with: CISD’s are not always utilized as much as we would like, however, I have found it is a positive message to the workers from leadership asserting; we know this is difficult, we value you, we want you to be well, and we want to help you take care of yourself.
I also have a couple examples of leadership making a positive impact:
In one instance, a Fire Fighter retired and committed Suicide 30 days later. The other involved a horrific auto accident with 2 fatalities. First responders found baby items about 10 minutes into the accident scene which escalated the trauma and search efforts.
At both CISD’s the Captain took the lead by sharing personally how these events impacted him on a personal level. He was extremely open with the pain and anger of the Fire Fighter who took his own life…and about the intensity of the accident site once baby items were found. He shared very quickly in the process, which opened everyone else to share about the impact on themselves as well.
At yet another CISD involving a suicide, the Chief opened up about the death and the impact on him. It was remarkable as the two leaders in the room shared. There clearly was a sense of relief and openness that was contagious.
As to an opposite experience involving first responders, a fire Chief was in the CISD standing on the side with arms crossed, not sitting with the crew. He said to me after the crew was called out on an Emergency, in a very demanding and aggressive manner, “If they were not going to share I was going to jump in and tell them to open up!!!” So glad that didn’t happen.
In another debriefing, a police sergeant personally introduced everyone to me and made a point to let me know which officers had served in the military. He then took the lead in sharing his experience and emotional responses. About halfway through the CISD another officer joined the group, immediately the sergeant intervened, gave him an update on what we had been covering along with some of the feelings expressed and asked him for his input, if he so chose. I found this to be very natural, kind, connective and welcoming. This unquestionably set the tone for others to feel safe to join in.
As for myself (Tim), I must go back over 25 years. Our EAP received a call from HR saying that a very popular media personality had very tragically and very publicly taken his own life that morning. Our team was summoned to provide a debriefing with leadership, broadcast anchors and other co-workers.
We arrived to a large conference room with all assembled. Like all good CISD providers we stuck to the learned Mitchell model. After our introduction we offered our sympathy for the well known and loved celebrity. We recited the parts of a CISD along with the nature and scope of a CISD, stressed confidentiality and let folks know we would remain after the session.
Then came the part where we asked for their thoughts and reactions. We weren’t prepared for what followed. After what seemed like an eternity of silence one person raised his hand and began to say how much he despised the guy and how he always thought of him as a jerk. Another spoke up to say he was sorry for his family, but he too held great hostility for him. Another said, “I hated him in life and I hate him in death”. And so it went. Just about everyone else expressed a similar tell.
Yikes, we did not see this coming, especially since the image of the deceased was so widely assumed to be of a wonderful, adoring megastar. Needless to say, we moved on to the other components of teaching, information and summary rather quickly. Lesson learned? When stepping into a crisis, leave your erroneous assumptions and faulty generalizations at the door.
In summary, I believe there is one paramount issue about CISD’s that I have learned over many years and that is;
What leadership says, does or fails to do following a disruptive critical incident will leave a lasting impression on employees. The consequences of not following a well-crafted CIR plan are not seen immediately, but rather more down the road in turnover, absenteeism, and reduced productivity. A most important step is to impress upon leadership that employees want to and deserve to hear from them regarding the incident. The message needs to be swift, empathic and compassionate. Depending on the seriousness of the incident, this can be done by a brief visit to the site of the event, a direct tech outreach to impacted employees, and/or assurances to follow up with timely updates.
Leadership must articulate high regard for their employees, the people who help the organization grow and prosper.
Tim Hobart, MBA, CEAP
CEO
H&H Health Associates, Inc.
Contributions from:
Brian Bauer, LPC, SAP, CEAP
Jeannine Liebman, MA, LPC, CEAP
Dave Rocco, MA, LPC
Copyright © 2025 International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc is a 501(c)3 Non Profit