Course Description

This course provides knowledge and skills for CISM activities, including traumatic responses to stress, participating in peer support networks, the Mitchell Model of CISM, and additional mental health programming available to emergency services personnel.

Capacity: Min. 12 / Max. 20

Contact Hours: 10

Course Outline

• Lesson 1: Introduction to Critical Incident Stress
• Lesson 2: Human Stress Response
• Lesson 3: Normal Impact of Trauma
• Lesson 4: When Trauma Becomes Toxic
• Lesson 5: Strategies for Critical Incident Stress Management
• Lesson 6: The CISM Model
• Lesson 7: Peer and Family Support

Learner Outcomes

• Define critical incidents and critical incident stress, and identify people affected by trauma
• Define and recognize the relevance of brain structure to the human stress response, and describe the body's reaction to stress
• Describe the physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioural reactions to trauma and their impacts
• Recognize the physical, cognitive, and emotional responses to chronic stress, including Acute Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• List the personal skills, habits, and strategies that contribute to mitigation of critical incident stress, following the Road to Mental Readiness framework
• Explain components of the Mitchell Model, including defusing and debriefing
• Identify skills beneficial to providing peer and family support to individuals affected by critical incident stress