Critical incidents are sudden and unexpected events that cause intense stress reactions.

Every organization is vulnerable to natural disasters, serious accidents, violence in the workplace, or death of employees.

When these unforeseen events happen, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) helps employees cope and recover. These professionally-conducted debriefing sessions provide a safe and controlled environment where people can discuss the distressing event, share thoughts and feelings, and understand that their reactions are normal. This structured process fosters healing and helps employees regain focus and productivity.

FACT:The study reports that 74.1% of the respondents experienced a significant reduction of trauma-related symptoms within one week after the CISD compared to only 65.5% of the personnel in the groups that did not receive CISD. The reduction in symptoms after CISD has implications for medical care, sick leave utilization and workers compensation claims.

Hokanson, M. (1997) Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Critical Incident Stress Management Program for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Los Angeles, CA.