POST CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS DEBRIEF (PCISD)

Duration: 18 Hours of learning (3 days) with pre-course reading and activities

Min no of learners: 8 Max no of learners: 12

IMPORTANT NOTE: Post critical incident stress debriefing is not a replacement for one-to-one therapy should an employee require it following an acute workplace incident.

Course Overview

PCISD aims to reduce acute stress by validating the employees’ experience and responses and restoration of group cohesion. This facilitates getting the work team back to ‘normal’. It also strongly demonstrates that management care and want to support their staff through critical or traumatic incident. It is one of the many tools that a health and safety manager, HR manager or wellbeing manager can put in place to show support to staff who have experienced a traumatic incident.

Target Audience

Anyone involved in the care & support of groups/teams following traumatic incidents:

  • Health care professionals (doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, wellbeing managers, etc.)
  • Mental health professionals (Social workers, Psychologists, Therapists, Mental health nurses, Welfare Officers, Wellness/Wellbeing Managers, EAP personnel, etc.)
  • First responders (Fire, Police, Paramedics, Armed forces and those that support first responders)
  • Workplace Professionals (Managers, Human Resource personnel, Occupational Health, Health and Safety personnel, Educators, Trade union managers, etc).
  • Religious personnel (Chaplains, Pastoral counsellors, Ministers, etc.)
  • Housing Support Teams & Probation teams who are providing direct care and support.

This course is delivered using a range of methods and resources including:

Face to Face tutor participative facilitation (whether in the classroom or online), scenarios for group discussions, question and answer time, videos and end of session assessment.

This course has been developed and mapped to current occupational standards, qualification frameworks and the following documents and resources:

  • Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974
  • HSE suite of tools for the management of workplace stress
  • ISO 45003:2021 – Psychological health and safety at work — Guidelines for managing psychosocial risks.
  • ILO & WHO mental health at work policy guidelines

Online training: it is essential that each learner has their own laptop/computer/tablet.

Pre-course reading and activities:

Prior to attending the first day, learners will need to complete the pre-course reading which should take about 2 – 3 hours. This will be emailed to each delegate about a week before the course.

Learning Outcomes

After attending this course, learners will be able to:

Day one

  1. Define key terms and concepts in Post Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
  2. Identify the key skills required by a debriefing facilitator
  3. Define active listening and its key components
  4. Participate in active listening activities
  5. Describe and participate in empathetic listening and responding
  6. Utilise body language to demonstrate empathy and a positive listening attitude
  7. Identify and utilise effective questioning

Day two

  1. Describe Mitchell’s 7 phase critical Incident stress debrief
  2. Be able to identify & transition between one phase and the next in the Post Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
  3. Differentiate between a homogenous group and a heterogenous group
  4. Compare other models with the Mitchell model
  5. Identify common reactions following a critical incident
  6. List 3 common group challenges and strategies for their management
  7. Select which intervention to apply to given scenarios

Day three

  1. Facilitate a homogenous group, post critical incident using Mitchells 7 phase critical incident stress debrief continued
  2. Utilise Driscoll’s model to reflect on your facilitation of the simulated critical incident
  3. Implement peer to peer feedback
  4. Receive feedback on your facilitation of the simulated critical incident
Daily time breakdownFromToMinutes
Registration09:1509:3015
Session 109:3010:4070
AM tea break10:4011:0020
Session 211:0012:4070
Lunch12:4013:2040
Session 313:2014:4070
PM tea break14:4015:0020
Session 315:0016:1070
Assessment/reflection16:1016:3020

Entry requirements – No prerequisites required but some mental health knowledge is recommended.

Assessment type – Role plays of the 7 phase critical incident stress debrief model. Each participant will be required to act as a facilitator of the debrief to a chosen scenario. Peer assessment and course leader assessment will also be given.

Certification/Qualification – Downloadable certificate of attendance

All courses are accompanied by instructional material