OUR MISSION

Peer Support after Critical Incidents

People who serve in Law Enforcement, EMS, Firefighters, Corrections Officers, Dispatch Operators, Border Patrol, and many others must handle traumatic situations on a regular basis. The effects of a traumatic experience are real, and it strengthens our community to support the well-being of these heroes.

The Mission of our organization is to provide a stable resource for local First Responders to access when traumatic events occur. When they call, our team will help connect them to resources. Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and Peer Support are an effective tool for helping to support First Responders emotional and physical well-being, and the integrity of a Unit.

We were built by First Responders local to Michigan's Central Upper Peninsula. DONATE so that we can continue to educate our team and to be able to provide additional resources to First Responders who may be going through crisis.

Crisis Interventions

The focus of our work

Crisis Incident Stress Management (CISM) is an adaptive, short-term psychological helping process that focuses solely on an immediate and identifiable problem. It can include pre-incident preparedness to acute crisis management to post-crisis follow up. Its purpose is to enable people to return to their daily routine more quickly and with less likelihood of experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Two primary types of intervention used in the CISM model include Defusing and Debriefings.

Defusing is done the day of the incident before the person(s) has a chance to sleep and up to 8 hours after the event. A defusing is used with close knit groups and can last from 20-45 minutes.
Debriefings are usually the second level of intervention for those directly affected by the incident and often the first for those not directly involved. A Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) is typically conducted within 24-72 hours post event and with a close knit group. A Debriefing can last from 1-3 hours and is conducted in 7 specific stages.
Beyond these interventions are other techniques for various groups and situations. Interventions based on the CISM model are commonly used in hospital or school settings following a critical incident. Our team currently focuses on helping first responders but we welcome inquiries from others in special circumstances.