Policy Text
Policy
1008Fremont Police Department
Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)
1008.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
It will be the policy of the Fremont Police Department to continually strive to meet the industry
standard of care regarding the mental health and emotional well being of its employees. To assist
employees in coping with the stress inherent in the public safety profession, the Department has
established standard procedures related to critical incidents and other traumatic events and to
provide employees with professional assistance in dealing with severe stress.
The purpose of the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program is to provide all
employees with the opportunity for peer assistance during times of professional crisis. The CISM
program does not act as a replacement for professional mental health services, should they
be deemed necessary. The Fremont Police Department will follow the model developed by the
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF).
1008.2 CORE COMPONENTS
According to the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, the seven core components of
CISM are as follows:
(a)Pre-crisis preparation. This includes stress management education, stress resistance,
and crisis mitigation training for both individuals and organizations.
(b)Disaster or large-scale incident, as well as, support programs including
demobilizations, informational briefings, "town meetings" and staff advisement.
(c)Defusing, a structured small group discussion provided within hours of a crisis for
purposes of assessment, triaging, and acute symptom mitigation.
(d)Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD), a structured group discussion, usually
provided 1 to 10 days post crisis, and designed to mitigate acute symptoms, assess
the need for follow-up, and if possible provide a sense of post-crisis psychological
closure.
(e)One-on-one crisis intervention/counseling or psychological support throughout the full
range of the crisis spectrum.
(f)Family crisis intervention, as well as, organizational consultation.
(g)Follow-up and referral mechanisms for assessment and treatment, if necessary.
1008.3 DEFINITIONS
The Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team follows specific definitions when
determining the appropriate course of action to take when requested or when determining the
functionality of the team. Definitions are:
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Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)
(a)Traumatic Event - Directly experiencing or witnessing actual or threatened death or
serious injury or experiencing a threat to one's own physical integrity or the physical
integrity of someone else (DSMIV APA, 1994). Any event that may temporarily
overwhelm an individual's usual methods of coping or produce unusual strong
reactions.
(b)Individual Reactions to a Traumatic Event - It is important to note an individual's
reaction to a traumatic event is individual-specific, based on the totality of
circumstances in that individual's life (i.e., the degree of involvement, cumulative
events, personal likeness, children, etc.).
(c)International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) - ICISF is a worldwide
organization dedicated to the prevention and mitigation of disabling stress through
education, training, and support services for all emergency services professions.
(d)Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team - A partnership between
mental health professionals and emergency service employees who are interested in
preventing and mitigating the negative impact of acute stress on them and their peers.
Also referred to as Peer Support Team.
(e)CISM Team Member - An employee trained to provide psychological first aid, support,
and referrals for employees of the Fremont Police Department.
(f)CISM Team Coordinators - CISM Team Members appointed by the Team Liaison
and/or Chief of Police, who coordinate team training, deploy our trauma response,
communicate with our mental health professional, track follow-up services and other
administrative duties related to the CISM Team.
(g)Team Liaison - A lieutenant, appointed by the Chief of Police, as the primary liaison
between the CISM Team, the mental health professional, and management staff. The
Team Liaison will be responsible for the team budget, authorizing overtime when
necessary, and approving team deployment in extraordinary circumstances.
(h)Mental Health Professional - A licensed mental health professional that has specific
expertise, experience, education, and training in the field of trauma services with
special emphasis on police personnel. This professional will be contracted, on-call to
the department for response to all critical incidents and other crisis needs.
(i)Critical Incident Stress Debriefings (CISD), Defusings, Crisis Management
Briefings (CMB) and/or Demobilizations - Different types of meetings designed
to mitigate the psychological impact of a traumatic event, prevent the subsequent
development of a posttraumatic stress disorder, and serve as an early identification
mechanism for individuals who may require professional mental health follow-
up. CISD, Defusings, CMB and Demobilizations are structured group meetings or
discussions during which personnel are given an opportunity to discuss their thoughts
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and reactions concerning a traumatic event in a controlled environment under the
direction of a mental health professional and peer support personnel.
(j)Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) - A Critical Incident Stress Debriefing is
a seven-phase process that should be conducted