Become a Member

The Southwest Ohio Critical Incident Stress Management (SWOCISM) Team invites you to join us as we continue to provide this vital service to our peers in the helping professions.

Our membership has included present and former firefighters, police officers, medics, emergency dispatchers, athletic trainers, educators, and professionals in general industry. In addition, our ranks have included physicians, nurses, chaplains, and mental health professionals.

All who apply for membership will fill out an application as provided in this section. The completed application will be received by our Membership Committee for evaluation.

Before being permitted to assist with CISM Interventions, new members will be required to receive ICISF (International Critical Incident Stress Foundation) approved courses in:

1. Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support

2. Group Crisis Intervention

Additional courses that will enhance the team member’s effectiveness are listed below.

Mental Health Professionals

While CISM interventions are not “therapy” sessions, mental health professionals are in attendance. They are there to ensure that those who have experienced a critical incident are receiving the appropriate level of care for their response to it. Criteria for Mental Health professionals wishing to join the team are shown in sections 4 and 5, below.

1. The following criteria are considered in evaluating new applications for membership in a CISM Team: 

  • Completed application form

  • Signed Memo of Understanding

  • Professional service experience and background 3-5 years experience

  • Experience as a mental health professional

  • Training in areas of stress/psychology

  • Evaluation of reasons for wanting to be on the team

  • Accessibility for interventions and team activities

  • Respect and trust of peers

  • Ability to keep confidences

  • Ability to express self

  • Maturity

  • Sensitivity to others

  • Ability to work within an established framework

  • Self identified assets/deficits

  • Type of professional service represented

  • Geographic location of candidate

2. Training Requirements - ICISF approved training: 

  • Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support

  • Group Crisis Intervention

  • Advanced Group Crisis Intervention

  • School Crisis Intervention A CISM Approach

Additional Suggested Courses: 

  • Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Post-vention

  • Pastoral Crisis Intervention

  • Healthcare CISM

  • Psychological Response to Disaster and Terrorism

  • Psychotraumatology

We help you put the pieces back together

3. Mental Health professionals should have an MA in psychology, social work, or a related field...or they should have an MS in Nursing with psychiatric specialty, and be employed in one of the following areas:

  • Social Services

  • Psychology

  • Psychiatric nursing

  • Counseling

  • Psychiatry 

4. Mental Health professionals should have specific training and experience in the following: 

  • Crisis intervention

  • Stress response and stress management

  • Group process

  • Directive intervention

  • Communications skills

  • Post traumatic stress disorder

  • Cross training with appropriate special groups

5. Evaluation of renewal applications include the criteria listed, above, and: 

  • Outcome of Peer Review Board procedures

  • Past accessibility for interventions and education presentations

  • Attendance at team meetings

Download application here

Learn More About CISM

A Primer on Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)

This primer provides an overview of CISM as a comprehensive, integrative, multicomponent Intervention system to use in a wide variety of community and occupational settings. The document briefly describes the seven core components of CISM and emphasizes the importance of using multiple interventions within the CISM framework.

Authoring Agency

International Critical Incident Stress Foundation

View Resource

Contact Us

If you would like to speak to a CISM peer or would like more information on our services, please call (513) 825-2260 or email us at SWOCISMsupport@gmail.com


Email
SWOCISMsupport@gmail.com

Phone
(513) 825-2260
To request services, Dispatchers must specifically request SWOCISM.