CISD Introduction Phase

The Introduction Stage is crucial. It will set the tone and have a direct impact on whether the debriefing is successful or not.  Objectives to reach in this phase are:

Point out team members Introduce the team leader Establish the leadership of the team Explain the purpose of the meeting Explain the process Motivate the participants Reduce resistance Explain the guidelines of the CISD Gain the cooperation of the participants Answer primary concerns and limit anxiety Encourage mutual help

In addition, the team must gain acceptance of the personnel by demonstrating confidence, experience, knowledge, compassion and concern. They must avoid over-confidence or arrogance in their display as professionals.

The introduction discusses guidelines and rules to be carried out:

Identify in the room anyone, who for any reason, does not belong in the group. Consider the nature of the event and its impact on the entire organization. Strict Confidentiality.  What is said in the room stays in the room. Get some kind of general acknowledgement (nod), answer questions about it, explain that it is alright to continue to talk about personal feelings outside of the group, but not what they have heard about others during the debriefing. Each member must speak for themselves. Interpreting other's behavior at the scene is not allowed. Speaking in the debriefing is optional.  They simply need to nod their head "no" and the group moves on.  All are encouraged, however, to participate for not only themselves , but for the benefit of the group. Participants are discouraged to leave the room anytime during the process. If they must, their return should be done quickly. There is no note taking or recording devices allowed in the debriefing. The debriefing is a discussion run by trained individuals to help mitigate the impact of a traumatic event and restore people to normal function as soon as possible.  It is not psychotherapy nor is it a substitute for therapy. This is not an investigation. Participants are instructed not to disclose any information which would jeopardize an investigation, or would  constitute an admission of criminal activity or deliberate violation of any usual policies and procedures.  They are urged to save such information for the investigative team. Participants are encouraged to forget their rank or station in life and to participate as a person affected by a tragedy. Have all pagers, cell phones, radios or anything that can cause a disruption to the process turned off. Inform the group that the team is their for them and after the debriefing as well. Encourage the group members to actively participate whether they feel like they need it or not.  Their participation can be of great value to another colleague. The debriefing is not a critique on operational aspects of the incident. Participants are told the the debriefing helps people to recover as quickly as possible and return to the normal aspects of their lives.  Experience shows that those who talk about the incident sleep and eat better and generally resume normal activities quicker. Inform that there are no reports given to supervisors. Inform participants what the first line of discussion will be on. Let them know that in a few minutes they will be asked who they are, what their role in the incident was and what happened from their own perspective. No breaks are taken during the debriefing. If they must go to the bathroom they are urged to return quickly. Let group know ahead of time that there are teaching components to the process that will occur towards the end of the debriefing. There will be reminders about confidentiality throughout the introductory and meeting if necessary. Participants are encouraged to ask questions anytime they want to.

Many emergency personnel have experience with debriefings, but do not assume that all have. Guidelines can be modified as needed.

Onsite Debriefings by EAP are usually run by one person. Greater attention to rules provided in the introduction may be warranted. Unless it is a large event, EAPs do not have the luxury of a team of counselors to attend to concurrent variables. This is minimized through the work done when setting up the intervention and "recruiting" the organization structure to set parameters around the intervention.