What type of incidents does CISM primarily address?

CISM, which stands for Critical Incident Stress Management, focuses predominantly on acute stress situations. These are instances where individuals or groups face significant psychological stress, typically due to traumatic events such as natural disasters, accidents, or other crises. The purpose of CISM is to provide immediate psychological support to help individuals process and cope with the intense emotions and potential trauma resulting from these critical incidents.

In acute stress situations, the goal is to offer timely interventions that can prevent the development of more severe post-traumatic stress disorders. Integrating a structured approach, CISM employs techniques such as defusing and debriefing to facilitate discussion and emotional processing among those affected. This proactive measure helps individuals regain a sense of control and normalcy after a distressing experience.

In contrast, routine training exercises focus more on preparedness rather than response, long-term therapy cases involve sustained mental health treatment over time for ongoing issues, and policy violations pertain to breaches of organizational rules rather than the psychological impacts of trauma. Understanding this distinction is essential for effectively utilizing CISM in crisis situations.