Wholeness Healing Center

You had a Critical Incident, Now What?

“Early intervention can significantly reduce the risk of long-term emotional and psychological distress.”

Stress reactions to critical incidents—such as accidents, violence, or the loss of a colleague—can be unpredictable. These events may overwhelm employees, causing psychological distress and potentially impacting their work performance. It’s essential to understand what constitutes a critical incident, recognize key stress responses in yourself or others, and learn effective coping and management strategies. Additionally, knowing how to access support through your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can be very helpful when needed.

The definition of a critical incident is defined as “Unusually challenging event(s) that have the potential to create significant human distress and can overwhelm one’s usual coping mechanisms” (Everly and Mithell, 2020). A critical incident is typically the result of someone experiencing strong stress reactions after an event, which may or may not be apparent from the outside. The following are examples of a critical incident:

Serious injury or death of someone while performing their job duties
A rescue attempt on the job
An incident which can be considered a serious physical or psychological threat to an employee (i.e. natural disaster, motor vehicle collision, or act of violence)
Being a part of an event that has high media coverage.

You should know that it is normal to experience a wide range of emotions following a critical incident, but there are things you can do to promote self-care for not only yourself but also for those around you. Being able to normalize feelings and experiences is essential, and understanding that these are not just emotional experiences, they can be physical, mental, or behavioral reactions helps the process.

Recognizing these incidents and understanding their impact is crucial for effective intervention. Employees often exhibit signs of stress such as anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating, or physical symptoms like headaches and fatigue. These reactions can be immediate or delayed and may vary greatly between individuals. The Nebraska Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team offers valuable resources on its website, located at www.dhhs.ne.gov/EHS-Critical-Incident-Stress-Management.apx. These resources include handouts entitled: “20 Steps to Cope with Stress,” “Common Stress Reactions,” “Things to Try,” “Emotional Reactions,” and “Critical Incident Stress Info Sheets.”

Management strategies include providing immediate support, ensuring a safe environment, encouraging open communication, and validating feelings. Long-term strategies might involve offering professional counseling, facilitating peer support groups, and promoting resilience through training programs. Utilizing the resources offered by your EAP can provide additional support and guidance, ensuring employees have access to necessary assistance during critical times.
If your business has a critical incident and you would like support, Wholeness Healing Center offers EAP services along with Critical Incident services, as well as Crisis Response and grief processing. Bringing these services in can be critical in establishing a way for your employees to work through the incident in a healthy way without longstanding repercussions.
Early intervention, ideally within 24 to 72 hours after the incident, can significantly reduce the risk of long-term emotional and psychological distress. Prompt response allows trained professionals to help normalize stress reactions, identify individuals who may need further assistance, and begin the healing process before symptoms have a chance to become ingrained. Addressing these needs quickly demonstrates your organization’s commitment to employee well-being and helps restore a sense of safety and stability in the workplace. Call us at 308.382.5297 for more information.

Works Cited
Everly, G. and Mitchell, J.T. (2020). The SAFER-R Model: Psychological Crisis Intervention.
Nebraska CISM Critical Incident Stress Management. (n.d.) Critical incident stress management (CISM). https://www.isaca.org/credentialing/cism

 

 

 

Tags: critical incident care for your employees