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3-Day (27 contact hours) Assisting Individuals in Crisis and Group Crisis Intervention (The GRIN) 

Course Description:
This 3-day course combines ALL of the content of ICISF’s Assisting Individuals in Crisis & Group Crisis Intervention courses.  Two certificates are awarded following 27 contact hours with the instructor.  Full attendance is required to earn both certificates.  Partial completion of the training does not earn a single certificate.

Crisis Intervention is NOT psychotherapy; rather, it is a specialized acute emergency mental health intervention which requires specialized training. As physical first aid is to surgery, crisis intervention is to psychotherapy. Thus, crisis intervention is sometimes called “emotional first aid” or “Psychological first aid” (PFA).

Designed to present the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multi-component crisis intervention curriculum, this course will prepare participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services for both the individual and for groups.

Fundamentals of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) will be outlined and participants will leave with the knowledge and tools to provide several group crisis interventions, specifically; Crisis Management Briefing, RITS, defusings and the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). The need for appropriate follow-up services and referrals when necessary will also be discussed.

This course is designed for anyone in the fields of Business & Industry Crisis Intervention, Disaster Response, Education, Emergency Services, Employee Assistance, Healthcare, Homeland Security, Mental Health, Military, Spiritual Care, and Traumatic Stress.

Program Highlights:

• Understanding psychological crises and intervention strategies
• The journey from resistance to resilience and recovery
• Techniques for managing stress from critical incidents
• The role of evidence-based practices in effective intervention
• Fundamental crisis communication strategies
• Typical psychological and behavioral responses to crisis situations
• The SAFER-Revised model for Psychological First Aid
• Essentials of suicide intervention
• Awareness of the risks associated with inadvertent harm
• Informational group crisis interventions
• Interactive group crisis interventions
• Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

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We recommend this as your first course in CISM.   

During this comprehensive 13-hour course, available both online and in-person, participants will be immersed in the fundamental techniques and underlying principles essential for assisting individuals who have encountered traumatic situations. The curriculum covers not just the techniques for assistance but also explores the theories that make these techniques effective.

The course introduces the SAFER-Revised model of crisis intervention, a versatile framework applicable across both professional and personal spheres. Upon completion, attendees will gain insight into their inherent capacity for crisis intervention, honed through life experiences.

This training will enhance your existing skills with a structured approach, enabling you to more effectively support colleagues and others as they navigate through adverse life events.

Key Topics Covered:

• The nature of psychological crises and the fundamentals of crisis intervention
• The continuum of resistance, resilience, and recovery
• Strategies for managing critical incident stress
• The importance of evidence-based practices in intervention
• Core techniques for effective crisis communication
• Common psychological and behavioral responses to crises
• The SAFER-Revised framework for Psychological First Aid
• Essentials of suicide intervention
• Understanding and mitigating the risks of iatrogenic harm

Completion of Assisting Individuals in Crisis counts towards the ICISF Certificate of Specialized Training Program.

Participants are encouraged to verify the eligibility of this training for Continuing Education (CE) credits with their respective professional associations.

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The Secrets of Psychological Body Armor ™ – Lessons from Neuroscience that can save your career, your marriage, & your life.

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Course hours:  9:00am – 5:00pm.

This course is recommended as the second course in the ICISF model of Critical Incident Stress Management.  

Over the course of 14 hours together either online or in-person, we will help you understand how an unpleasant event may affect a group of people, and how you can help them.  This course builds on the Assisting Individuals in Crisis training and expands the application of the ICISF Model of Crisis Intervention.

Designed to present the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multi-component crisis intervention curriculum, the Group Crisis Intervention course will prepare participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services. Fundamentals of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) will be outlined and participants will leave with the knowledge and tools to provide several group crisis interventions, specifically demobilizations, defusings and the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). The need for appropriate follow-up services and referrals when necessary will also be discussed.

This course is designed for anyone in the fields of Business & Industry Crisis Intervention, Disaster Response, Education, Emergency Services, Employee Assistance, Healthcare, Homeland Security, Mental Health, Military, Spiritual Care, and Traumatic Stress.

Program Highlights:

Relevant research findings
Relevant recommendations for practice
Incident assessment
Strategic intervention planning
“Resistance, resilience, recovery” continuum
Interactive group crisis interventions
Informational group crisis interventions
Adverse outcome associated with crisis intervention
Reducing risks
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

Completion of “Group Crisis Intervention” and receipt of a certificate indicating full attendance (14 Contact Hours) qualifies as a class in ICISF’s Certificate of Specialized Training Program.

 This training may be eligible for CE credit. Check with your own professional association to confirm.

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