ID
2-508-1041
Name
Critical Incident Stress Management Team
Status
Published
Version
1.10
Updated
11/15/2019 5:12:05 PM
Original Release
07/12/2005
Last Major Release
11/15/2019
Description
The Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team is responsible for mitigating severe stress and enhancing psychological resilience among emergency responders. Jurisdictions may also refer to this team as a Peer Support Team or First Responder Stress Support Team (FRSST)
Resource Category
Incident Management
Primary Core Capability
Public Health, Healthcare, and Emergency Medical Services
Secondary Core Capability
 
Resource Kind
Team
Overall Function
The CISM Team: 1. Assesses and prioritizes the behavioral health needs of first responders to an event 2. Provides peer-led, mental health-informed interventions to mitigate common stress responses and facilitate return to work. Interventions include: a. Individual psychological first aid or crisis intervention b. Education regarding normal stress responses and coping strategies for psychological resilience through informational groups such as Rest Information and Transition Services for first responders and Crisis Management Briefings for those with supportive functions and civilians c. Group interventions to discuss responder experiences and elicit social support, including interactive group processes such as defusing, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD), and Psychological First Aid (PFA) 3. Provides referrals to community resources for follow-up or to address the need for higher levels of care
Composition and Ordering Specifications
1. Discuss logistics for deploying this team, such as working conditions, length of deployment, security, lodging, transportation, and meals, prior to deployment 2. This team can serve an average of 5 to 7 first responders per session 3. Requestor orders additional teams of 1 Behavioral Health Specialist and 2 peer support personnel to serve larger numbers of responders 4. Requestor specifies responders' disciplines to ensure peer support personnel reflect the population they serve 5. Requestor works with team leader to identify need for additional medical specialists such as psychiatrists or psychologists and orders those specialists separately
Supporting Core Capabilities
None
Components
Component Notes  
Minimum Personnel Per TeamNot Specified
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 14
Management And Oversight Personnel Per TeamNot Specified
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 11 – National Incident Management System (NIMS) Type 1 Behavioral Health Team Leader
SUPPORT PERSONNEL PER TEAM1. The peer support personnel is not a NIMS typed position. 2. Peer support personnel are certified first responders with specialized training as peer support personnel and experience providing peer counseling. 3. Peer support personnel are reflective of the population they serve.
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 11 – NIMS Type 1 Behavioral Health Specialist 2 – Peer support personnel
Capacity Capability Per TeamThis team serves responders in multiple groups, across multiple sessions, or in one-to-one sessions.
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 1This team can serve 5 to 7 responders per session
Information Equipment Per Team MemberRequestor provides additional expendable commodities for responder comfort as necessary, such as tissues and water.
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 11. Laptop computer 2. Screening and referral forms 3. Psychological educational handouts on resilience 4. Handouts on local resources available, if possible
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Per Team MemberThe following regulation addresses PPE: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1910.132: Personal Protective Equipment.
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 1PPE is mission specific and may include: 1. Protective clothing 2. Gloves
Communications Equipment Per TeamNot Specified
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 1Appropriate team communications equipment, such as two-way radios, cell phones, or a satellite phone
836
Notes
References
Reference
FEMA, NIMS 509-12: Behavioral Health Team Leader
FEMA, NIMS 509-12: Behavioral Health Specialist
FEMA, National Incident Management System (NIMS), October 2017
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1910.132: Personal Protective Equipment, latest edition adopted
Published Versions
Version Publish Date Document Type
1.10 11/15/2019 5:12:05 PM PDF
1.9 11/15/2019 9:44:20 AM PDF
1.8 9/28/2018 5:08:36 PM PDF
1.7 6/19/2018 11:43:13 AM PDF
1.6 6/19/2018 10:01:53 AM PDF
1.5 6/19/2018 10:01:52 AM PDF
1.4 6/18/2018 11:37:11 PM PDF
1.3 6/18/2018 11:36:55 PM PDF
1.2 8/11/2014 5:33:03 PM PDF
1.1 4/8/2014 6:22:22 PM Unavailable
1.0 12/12/2013 5:40:51 PM Unavailable