Eastern Carolina
Criticial Incident Stress Management Association
Eastern Carolina
Criticial Incident Stress Management Association
The Eastern Carolina Critical Incident Stress Management Association(ECCISMA) is a volunteer organization that provides critical incident stress management (CISM) services to emergency responders in eastern North Carolina.
Its more than 100 members trained as peer debriefers that are dedicated to serving other emergency responders in Eastern North Carolina after traumatic events occur. Team members have also deployed statewide, nationally, and internationally after such events as 9-11, the tsunami in Thailand, and Hurricane Katrina.
The purpose of CISM is to 1) lessen the impact of the incident on the emergency responder and thus lessen the impact on his/her family as well, and to 2) accelerate recovery from the stress associated with the incident so that the individual can return to the normalcy of work and family life faster than might otherwise occur.
The most widely used intervention is a peer debriefing. The concept of a peer debriefing is a group process involving trained peers assisted by a mental health professional offering an environment where the emergency responders can share their thoughts and feelings regarding the incident with others who have had similar professional experiences. It also offers education on ways to deal with the stress of such incidents, which in many cases, involve the death of children, a line of duty death, mass casualty events, police shootings, or the suicide of a co-worker. These are, however, only a few examples.
For more information or assistance, contact 1-800-545-7781
Membership Application can be found under the "Resources" tab.
TO UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION OR
TO BE ADDED TO THE MAILING LIST,
PLEASE COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE FORM BELOW.
We would love to hear from you! If you have attended any of our classes or participated in a debriefing/defusing, please leave a testimonial below sharing your experience and how it has helped you. This information may be published on our website or shared during meetings. Please know that your name will not be published or shared. Please adhere to HIPAA guidelines and do not share names or specifics of any incident.
Thank you for your time and feedback.
Mailing Address:
ECCISMA
PO Box 602
Williamston, NC 27892