Stress and Violence in the Workplace

Solution Preview

Let's address each question, which you can then use to compile your final 500-700-word response. I also attached one extra resource, some of which this response is drawn.

RESPONSE:

(1) What is the purpose of using the tool?

Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) "represents an integrated "system" of interventions which is designed to prevent and/or mitigate the adverse psychological reactions that so often accompany emergency services, public safety, and disaster response functions. CISM interventions are especially directed towards the mitigation of post-traumatic stress reactions" (Vancouver Island Health Authority, 2009). However, the CIS tool is also used in the workplace when critical incidents occur as a debriefing intervention aimed at reducing the impact of the incident and reducing the stress related reactions and symptoms linked to the incident. Some examples of critical incidents in the workplace include:

? Serious work-related injury of a fellow employee
? Major and/or multiple casualty incidents encountered in the line of duty
? Personal involvement with a victim
? Hostage taking
? High level of responsibility associated with an incident (Vancouver Island Health Authority, 2009).

(2) The process of using the tool.

The concept of a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) embraces the tenets of a crisis theory which believe that after exposure to a traumatic event: 1) people may need additional coping skills to deal with the event and 2) people are usually open to acquiring new skills after being exposed to critical incidents (Federal Occupational Health, 2009). "Early intervention by both professional and peer-support personnel who are specially trained and follow an established standard of stress intervention techniques affect recovery from traumatic stress positively" (Federal Occupational Health, 2009).The optimum is a three-step approach that addresses the trauma at various stages of progression: defusing, debriefing, and individual followup.

The Critical Incident Debriefing tool is a group intervention debriefing tool that involves seven stages, which needs to be guided by a mental health professional and needs peer support. It usually lasts 2 to 3 hours depending on the size of the group and severity of the crisis (Leonhardt & Vogt, 2006). The 7 stages debriefing include: ...