Critical Incident Support
A tragedy, assault or threat can prove very difficult for both employees and organisations to deal with. Stratos has researched the most effective and reliable strategies to deal with critical incidents.
Examples of critical incidents
A critical incident is one which is:
- likely to cause extreme physical and/or emotional distress to staff
- outside the normal range of experience of the people affected.
The following is a guide only, to the sorts of situations that may cause critical incident stress:
- threat of, or actual, death, injury, abuse or other violence
- suicide of a patient/client or fellow member of staff
- any death or serious harm involving a child or infant
- a series of stressful events that occur in a short time frame
- exposure to particularly gruesome sights, sounds and smells
- a failed rescue attempt
- extended involvement with a particularly stressful event over time
- an accumulation of past stressful experiences
There are also certain critical incidents where critical incident stress is most likely to affect a group of employees. Such situations may include the following:
- a group of staff involved in major disaster rescue and support work
- a work unit criticised in the media
- a hold-up or a staff member taken hostage
- a situation involving distraught relatives or bystanders
- line of duty deaths or injuries
Stratos support following critical incidents includes individual counselling, on site “psychological first aid” and access to an on line critical incident management tool kit.
To arrange support following a critical incident phone 0800 (STRATOS) 787 2867