Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)

Critical Incident Stress Management Team—Helping Those Who Help Others

The Utah Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Program has been established to assist emergency service workers throughout the State. The CISM Team comprises mental health professionals and peer support personnel who are trained to assist emergency responders in dealing with the stress of their profession.

The main objective of CISM is to provide crisis intervention during or after critical incidents in order to minimize stress-related injuries to emergency personnel. CISM is both a psychological and educational group process designed to:

1. Lessen the impact of critical incidents to which emergency personnel respond.
2. Accelerate the recovery process of emergency personnel who suffer from stress-related injuries.

Some examples of critical incidents are suicide, death, or serious injury of an emergency service worker; high media interest in an event; a prolonged event; injury or death of a child; a mass casualty incident; threats to an emergency service worker’s safety; a natural disaster; or any event that troubles an emergency worker who participated in the event.

To schedule a CISM debriefing, call the debriefing hotline.

Debriefing Hotline: 1-801-779-2865

Questions? Contact Guy Dansie at gdansie@utah.gov or 801-273-6671.