Traumatic Incident Reduction and Critical Incident Stress Management: A Synergistic Approach

by Victor R. Volkman (Editor), John Durkin (Foreword)

From the
TIR offers an opportunity for the members of a CISM team to deal with any accumulated emotional baggage that their involvement in crisis-intervention has created. Training in TIR adds another tool to the toolkit of crisis-intervention techniques and enables peer-support to ad-dress an extended range of crisis-reactions, even those that might justify a clinical diagnosis. If virtually all the emotional reactions of a colleague in crisis could be ac-commodated and addressed through CISM and TIR, then the difference to the individual, the CISM team and the community would be immense. I look forward to the day that what practitioners of CISM and TIR already know is recognized in order for these approaches to be embraced and enjoyed more widely.
What Traumatologists Are Saying about TIR and CISM...
"Now, as a psychologist, I think I can see what would have helped me-after the injury that led to PTSD andretirement as a firefighter-and why. I now train firefighters and paramedics in the crisis-intervention tactics of CISM and offer TIR training to the same people." -John Durkin, www.FireStress.co.uk
"After the crisis is over, and the CISM team has done crisis management briefings and debriefings, both crisis responders and victims who continue to be negatively affected by the traumatic incident will benefit greatly by using TIR to get back to normal as quickly as possible." -Nancy Day, CTS, TIR Trainer
"Specific training in TIR skills speeds the process of a person moving from novice to fully effective practitioner. One idea would be for this skill set to be included in CISD training." -Jill Boyd, RN, MS
"TIR has developed crucial understanding and training by managing communication and the development of rules of practice that can surely inform and enrich CISD sessions as well as other similar techniques." -Carlos Velazquez-Garcia, Psych., CT (Puerto Rico)
"Each modality can be enhanced by the skills and training that the other provides. CISM without TIR is missing the opportunities to complete the process. TIR without CISM training is missing the structure for working with and understanding the bigger process." -Gerry Bock, MA, RCC (Vancouver, BC)
About the TIR Applications Series
This new series from Loving Healing Press brings you information and anecdotes about Traumatic Incident Reduction and related techniques. Practitioners around the world use these Applied Metapsychology techniques. It is our opinion that stories of real-world experience convey the opportunity for healing that TIR provides. Readers interested in the theories behind TIR and Applied Metapsychology (the subject from which TIR is derived) should also consider the Explorations in Metapsychology Series from Loving Healing Press.

164 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2006

About the author

Owner of Loving Healing Press, an independent publisher of books that redefine what is possible for healing mind and spirit. Imprints of LHP include Modern History Press, Marvelous Spirit Press, and the Rocky Mountain Region DMH Institute Press.

Reviews

[LAURI CRUMLEY COATES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Traumatic Incident Reduction and Critical Incident Stress
Management: A Synergistic Approach (TIR Applications)
Edited by: Victor R. Volkman
Publisher: Loving Healing Press
ISBN: 978-1-932690-29-3

This book is the first in Loving Healing Press' series on Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR) and Related Techniques. The book is filled with excellent articles by experienced social workers, doctors, nurses and others with extensive insight into TIR and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM).

TIR is a brief, one-on-one, person centered method used to permanently eliminate the negative effects of past trauma. By necessity, it is highly structured and emphasizes safety. The client basically "rewinds" their memories, emotions and responses to a traumatic incident; and then "plays" this mental video to themselves and discuess it with the counselor. It is discussed with the counselor in as much detail as a client is comfortable with; the counselor leads the client into identifying and claiming the emotions they felt at the time of the trauma. By repeatedly "reviewing" the memory with the counselor, the client is able to reach a peak emotional response; and on continued review the negative response will lessen.

What is CISM? Critical Incident Stress Management is a comprehensive system of crisis intervention utilizing peer support for dealing with the aftermath of critical or traumatic incidents. As professionals and most laypersons understand, the time following an incident of trauma or crisis often will have an overwhelming or intense, all-encompassing impact on both those directly impacted by the trauma and the responders involved in the aftermath. CISM utilizes a short period of specialised training to instruct interested employees/responders in how to confront and address the emotional needs of their colleagues following response to a crisis. Because colleagues have a better understanding of the work process environment, etc., they are more quickly able to grasp and understand the feelings of their co-workers as it relates to the job and situation; a good short description of what they do would be "emotional first aid".

The book offers really wonderful and informative chapters on post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and resolving it; the basic methods of TIR and CISM; crime in the workplace; facilitating the use of TIR/CISM for practioners, and summaries of commonly used intervention techniques..

I think anyone in a position of interacting with persons who have undergone traumatic incidents can greatly benefit from this book. It gives a very indepth look at all facets of TIR and CISM; and would be of invaluable use as a permanent part of the reference library. Highly recommended.