Training includes Handouts and PowerPoint presentations for use onsite!

**   The First Edition of this training, Tragedy in the Workplace, was recognized by the Employee Assistance Professional Association and awarded the 2003 Special Achievement Award. 

CEAP!

Approved for 8 PDHs Domain II

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Integrating Best Practices for Onsite Debriefing Services

Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) as developed by Jeffrey Mitchell, Ph.D., and George Everly, Ph.D. of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, has long been the intervention of choice for providing crisis intervention to first responders at the scene, or nearby, a critical incident. It is grounded in theory, precise in its delivery and well integrated into the first responder culture.

Over the years, their model has been borrowed and tweaked by Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and other mental health organizations,  in an effort to respond to the growing need of crisis intervention in workplaces.  The demand for such services far outpaced the development of a unified, systematic approach to training. Such a training would need to take into consideration new variables that present themselves with a different population, environment and culture.

The model's growing visibility and anecdotal success, however,  brought critics.  The Mitchell Model, especially after the events of 9/11, while growing in popularity, began to receive criticism on its effectiveness. Dr. Mitchell and others rigorously defended their approach, the issue that emerged, however, was that there were gaps in applying this model to the non-first responder population.

Shortly after, in 2002, Psychological First Aid (PFA) arrived with some fanfare as the new approach in assisting civilians effected by disasters.  The central theme to the model is this:  "assisting people in the immediate aftermath of disaster and terrorism:  to reduce initial distress, and to foster short term and long term adaptive functioning", (CDC Fields Operation Model, 2nd Edition, 2002). This seemed to offer some resolution not addressed by the Mitchell model in offering an immediate response to civilians, but didn't take into the environmental variables of workplaces.

Despite these advancements, the Employee Assistance (EAP) field was/is still left with the challenge of having to adapt their approach to reflect the uniqueness of working with employees within large and small organizations. Each bringing a unique subset of variables. The Employee Assistance Professional Association (EAPA), has not taken a position on this approach, instead offers a forum to bring the experts to the table, and you, the willing interventionist, are left to  decide.

The first edition of this training , Tragedy in the Workplace, was designed to bridge the gaps between the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) approach and the growing EAP community's  continued frustration over the lack of an integrated model. It was broader in its reach and designed for newer professionals who needed to learn the Mitchell model as well.  This edition narrows its focus as to what is needed to go onsite at workplaces, in an EAP capacity, and deliver specific onsite services for individuals and the organization as a whole.

This training reviews and captures best practices of these models for responsible delivery within a dual client environment. You will learn:

• Historical perspective of crisis intervention and the development of the Mitchell Model

• Key components of the Human Stress Response

• How to safely adapt the Mitchell Model to address the non-first responder population within organizations

• Overview and use of PFA techniques and its applicability to Onsite Services

• Navigating the dual client culture

• Fully integrated onsite interventions: Pre-incident Training, Corporate Debriefing, Group Debriefing (traumatic event, large scale disaster), Individual Interventions, Bereavement Groups (routine and complex), and Follow-up Services.

A post test and evaluation follow to receive a certificate of completion.

Feedback from the First Edition of Tragedy in the Workplace

"I believe having taken this training was a significant factor in my being offered the opportunity to be part of an EAP team overseas." William Clayton, KBR EAP, Deployed in Iraq

"The course was excellent and provided a number of helpful insights for first responders like me." Darrill Deaton DMin, Victim Relief Ministries, TX

I received certificate from you. Thank you so much for your help! And by the way, the training material was excellent!!
Akiko Yagi, EAP Japan

"The course was great!" John Buck MA, CEAP, DOR EAP, MN

"The training was excellent and I would recommend it to other EAP's." Beth Aaron, LifeEra, PA

"The material was outstanding!" John L. Laughlin, Ph.D., MD

"I learned a lot from this course. It was very timely because we had 2 employees die and had to respond to the co-workers." Connie Moody, University of Cincinnati, REACH, OH

"Excellent, very informational!" Mark W. Baldwin LCSW, Family Therapist, Brower County Schools, FL

"Great Information!" Gene Personett, Tyson Foods, IN

"Very Good training Course, Well designed." George Florence, G&G Fire Protection Consultants, TX

"There was a lot of valuable info and the way the training was organized it was very easy to follow." Anastasia Matkowski, United HealthCare, PA

"There is an unbelievable amount of information that you are given..." Larry Robinson, EAP Resources, AL