International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
By: Ralph May, Psy.D.
Indiana County Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team Clinical Director
In Indiana County, Pennsylvania, we have a population of 82,000, and other than one or two concentrations, most individuals are spread across a moderately expansive geography. While we have an excellent Emergency Management Authority and 911 Center, emergency response resources are obviously not enough, and tax our responders constantly. Our Volunteer fire halls are often tasked with many calls, as is our ambulance services, EMTs and Paramedics. Much is asked of our front line, which has only become more challenging during COVID 19.
The Indiana County CISDT has been operational since 2002. Our 14 members are quite a group of varied mental health professionals, EMTs, 911, pastors and the coroner. This fantastic diversity has enabled us to not only offer defusing, debriefing, one on one and Crisis Briefing to them, but to also respond to tragedy in the community, including businesses who experienced traumatic deaths, schools who have lost students to accidents and suicide, and families who have suffered sudden loss. We have gone on scene, but also done repeated and varied interventions based upon the need.
The advantage we have is our relationships that were developed BEFORE the worst hits. Perhaps because we are a small county, many of us hold key positions in services (mental health, drug and alcohol, Crisis Team, EMA, 911, pastoral, the coroner) and we know one another and the resources that each brings to the table to not only respond to the acute crisis, but to know how to follow up. My friend the Coroner is a key provider, who can assess the death and offer support as a CISDT trained member. Many referrals come from people who know us, and we are called back whenever the need arises, a clear indicator that this works. We can be dispatched easily through our Crisis line or 911, who have members of the CISDT who work there in key operations.
When you don’t have inexhaustible resources, you make do with what you can muster. What we have is a group of people who are always willing to put themselves out to help and a county that believes in service to others. The lesson we have learned is that fact may be THE most important resource that anyone in this business can have.
We are always deeply honored to serve those who serve. The Indiana County CISM has learned that we can serve in many places, and will always try to rise to that occasion.
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International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc is a 501(c)3 Non Profit