"I was across the street from the W.T.C. on that day. This time we (EAP at Merrill Lynch) were a first responder, but already being in such close proximity, we were victims as well. As an EAP professional this is usually not the case. I was confused between being a helper and survivor. I was torn in so many directions- running for my life, then running back to look for people to help. It has given me a perspective I do not wish upon anybody."

In the following months, CISM was provided daily. Until exhaustion.

..."I went through a profound feeling of helplessness all during and after the event. Being able provide CISM afterwards was automatic. It gave me some element of control, but also the creeping awareness of how little control we have. When the groups started to slow down and there was little emergency work to do, I crashed." 

Prior to 9/11, Robert received his first formal CISM training after responding the Oklahoma City bombing. He attended the training seminar by Jeffrey Mitchell Ph.D., President of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.

"Like so many clinicians in our field, CISM training starts in the fire, then you learn about the burns. When I went to Oklahoma City I already had the experience of providing CISM services for numerous local critical incident events, including the first attack of the World Trade Center in N.Y. in 1993.   When I went to Oklahoma City, I went with a colleague and it was her first CISM experience."

After a much needed rest and recovery, the Critical Incident Response-Kit was put together.  The kit, has been praised within the EAP field and outside as a much needed resource. Corporations, emergency personnel, Chaplains, universities, military and the government, all have become part of the growing network critical incident response-kit users.

"The idea of a response-kit had pre 9/11 origins. It just made sense for the kind of work EAP's do.  Looking back though, the energy to work on the response-kit, which focuses on preparation, was a cathartic reaction to manage the profound sense of helplessness I was dealing with at the time."

"...putting a training online was the next logical step to the Response-kit. There was the risk that professionals who had not had the appropriate training might reach for something like the kit in lieu of training. That clearly was not the message we intended."

For more information about these services please contact us at 732-988-5141.