Critical Incident Stress Management

A critical incident is any situation that causes an individual or group of individuals to experience unusually strong emotional reactions that have the potential to interfere with daily or normal functions. 

Even after the event is over, individuals involved may continue to experience some strong emotional or physical reactions to the event. These "aftershocks" may appear immediately after the traumatic event, or days and weeks later. These repsonses may last a few hours, days or months depending on the severity of the incident. 

Professional assistance is available through PinnacleHealth's Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team. This group is dedicated to preventing and mitigating stress through education, training and support services. PinnacleHealth's CISM team is comprised of psychologists, nurses, social workers, therapists, healthcare professionals and clergy.