SNOWY RANGE A.S.I.S.T. CISM TEAM BROCHURE
     


THE CONCERN


Emergency services personnel have become increasingly aware of the toll that unique occupation-
related stressors may have on their quality of life. The very nature of emergency service jobs
may expose these individuals routinely, or periodically, to stressful events which they may or
may not be able to work through satisfactorily on their own.

Factors which cause stress to one individual may not be stressful for another. Research has
shown that a very small percentage of emergency service personnel are not actually affected 
by stress. Of those who do demonstrate symptoms related to stress, one-half can resolve these
alone, while the other half continue to be affected.

Responses to stress may be immediate and incident specific, may be delayed for a period of time
after an incident, or may be cumulative, building up after a long period of time and may include
many incidents.

Multiple factors affect an individual's response to stress and include factors specific to the
stressor, such as the individual's personal qualities, past experiences and the resources 
available to him or her. 

It has been demonstrated that certain events, such as the death of a child, the death of a
co-worker, high rise fires or multiple casualty incidents, are particularly stressful for
emergency workers. Any of these events, plus a host of others may cause or contribute to a 
critical incident for an emergency worker or group of emergency workers.



A CRITICAL INCIDENT


Jeffrey Mitchell, founder of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF), has
defined a critical incident as "any situation faced by emergency service personnel that causes
them to experience unusually strong emotional reactions which have the potential to interfere
with their ability to function either at the scene or later. All that is necessary is that the
incident, regardless of the type, generates unusually strong feelings in the emergency workers."



A SOLUTION


The Snowy Range Associated State Incident Stress Team (A.S.I.S.T.) has been established to 
provide a form of crisis intervention specifically designed to assist emergency workers to
reduce the number of psychological casualties among their ranks.

Through critical incident stress debriefing, emergency personnel are provided a tool to
potentially alleviate overwhelming emotional feelings and physical symptoms.



THE TEAM


The Snowy Range team consists of a multidisciplinary group of certified ICISF-trained professionals.
Debriefers are volunteers who are familiar with emergency services. They are carefully selected
from the following groups:

* Mental health professionals

* Fire service personnel

* Chaplains

* Law enforcement

* Emergency Medical Services

* Field personnel from various agencies



TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS


Several types of interventions may be conducted depending upon the circumstances of a particular
incident. Intervention may occur on a one-on-one basis or in small groups. The following
intervention types may be used:

* On-scene support services

* Demobilization/de-escalation/decompression

* Defusing

* Formal debriefing

* Individual consults

* Significant other support

* Specialty debriefing

* Informal discussion

* Follow-up services



ACCESSING THE TEAM


Snowy Range A.S.I.S.T. is available to any emergency service requesting the team services. Any
agency requiring assistance may contact Snowy Range A.S.I.S.T. by calling 1-800-821-3711,
24 hours a day, seven days a week. Be prepared to give information to the following questions:

* Your name and telephone number

* Your agency's name, address and chief officer

*
The nature and location of the incident

* Date and time of the incident

* The urgency of the situation

* The number of persons expected to attend the debriefing

Foe optimal effectiveness, a formal debriefing should be conducted 24 to 72 hours following an
incident. It should generally not be postponed for longer than one week. Because of Wyoming's
rural population, special circumstances are often encountered, and debriefings must be contoured
to each individual situation.

All information during the debriefing is strictly confidential and will not be discussed with
those not at the session. Only general information will be released.



AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES


Your agency will be asked to cover the debriefers' expenses such as travel, meals, and lodging, 
if needed. At the present time, all the services of the debriefing sessions are on a volunteer
basis.

Your agency should strongly encourage attendance at the debriefing session by all personnel
involved in the incident from your agency as well as others affected by the incident.



          				
     				
							
     				
     				
	
     				
     				
     				          
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