The procedure following a critical incident can be very briefly simplified into three stages each requiring its own detailed process. Developing procedures and resources include the following: Identification of critical incident and those in need of support: Managers are the obvious choice for doing this...
The larger the organisation the more potential stakeholders there will be to consult with. In the real world, we often see change being driven either from a grassroots level or from the top-down, but different agendas and priorities may cause disengagement or conflict. It’s really all...
When we are drawing up a strategy, properly assessing risks should be one of our first steps. It enables us to address them proactively. As with any risk assessment, the control measures should then be appropriate to the level of risk. There are 4 main areas...
An organisation can have very good support services but in the case of mental health, the belief that “if you build it, they will come” does not apply. It is estimated that as many as 80 percent of people with mental health issues don’t seek...
When someone we care about has been involved in a crisis or traumatic event, it can be very difficult to know what to do. We can feel helpless, confused and worried. Our loved ones may withdraw from our support or be emotional or angry with...
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger … or so the saying goes. Yet for many people, hearing this phrase can make them feel angry or patronised as their traumatic event left them feeling weaker, somehow less than they were and believing that life has...
When you’re maintaining physical fitness you pay attention to signs that something needs attention. You notice aches, tension or pain and can then take action to address this. Just as muscles and joints offer feedback on how they are dealing with physical challenges, so your...
Sometimes life can feel like sailing the ocean, enjoying calm waters and negotiating waves when they arrive. We may coast along for a while then hit unexpected rough water and have to use all our physical and emotional strength to balance and successfully navigate through. Too...
A crisis brings out our primitive ancestors! The human response to a crisis that threatens us, or our world, evolved millions of years ago in our primitive ancestors. This survival response was developed to deal with threats such as predators, famine, drought or marauding tribes but...
The symptoms of post traumatic stress are part of the body and brain’s response to threat. They are intended to keep the individual physically ready to deal with further threat and this can continue until the brain has switched off the alarm system. Unfortunately, reminders of...