After Action Communication 

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

There is always a possibility of an event or incident initiating trauma for some or all of the response team.  A Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) is a specific, small group, supportive crisis intervention process. The CISD process does not constitute any form of psychotherapy and should not be used as a replacement for psychotherapy. It is simply a supportive, crisis-focused discussion of a traumatic event (which is frequently called a “critical incident”). The CISD was developed exclusively for small, homogeneous groups who have encountered a powerful traumatic event. It aims at reduction of distress and a restoration of group cohesion and unit performance. 

When possible, utilize professionals external to the organizations involved to facilitate all debriefing sessions to avoid staff feeling that they are being asked to attend an information gathering session. Also, it is important to promote honesty without staff fear of retaliation to gather recommendations. Ideally, these meetings would be held in person as it creates more safety and a sense of comradery. Group size should be no more than fifteen and there should be at least an hour of allotted time for each group. For those working at home, or who would feel uncomfortable at an in-person meeting, a virtual session should be offered separate to the in-person meetings. A sample critical incident stress debriefing summary is provided below:

SAMPLE CISD

Name of Event:

Date of Event:

Date of Debriefing:

Names of Debriefing Staff/Volunteers:

Sample Questions:

• Standard Wellness Questions:
  • What were your first thoughts about the event?
  • What was the worst part of the event to you personally?
  • What are the signs and symptoms of distress that you have experienced? What about now?
• Individual/Team Questions:
  • Define some of your most challenging moments. What made them so?
  • Define some of your most powerful moments. What made them so?
  • What is the most important thing that you learned personally? As a team?
  • What do you feel most got in the way of individual and collective progress?
  • How well did your team communicate? How well did your team communicate with other teams?
  • What did your teammates do that helped you overcome obstacles?
  • How did you help others?
  • How will you use what you have learned moving forward?
  • What other support could your team have benefited from?
• Guidance:
  • Allow time for questions to be asked.
  • Provide a supportive and neutral atmosphere.
  • Provide wellness resources verbally and hard copies to all that attend.
• Resources: List your local resources for mental and behavioral health, suicide hotline, crisis helpline or others.