Tidewater
Critical
Incident Stress Management Team: Operational
Guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures, and Strategic Plan
Tidewater Emergency
Medical Services Council
6353 Center Drive,
Suite 101
Norfolk, VA 23502
Contacting
the Tidewater CISM Team:
Business &
crisis response during workday: 757-963-0632
Nights, Weekends,
and Holidays for crisis response only: 757-622-1309
These Operational
Guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures, and Strategic Plan are to be
followed by all members of the Tidewater CISM Team.
The Operational
Guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures, and Strategic Plan were adopted by the team membership on 5 May 2008 at the regular quarterly team meeting following electronic voting over the prior three months. This document has since been edited for clarity and consistency; in addition, the Strategic Summary 2008-2016 has been added.
- Tidewater
Critical
Incident Stress Management Team: Operational
Guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures, and Strategic Plan - CISM
Ethical Statement - Types
of CISM Interventions Provided by the Team - Team
Membership - Team,
Leadership, and Committee Roles - CISM
Team Activation and Deployment - Quarterly Team
Meetings for Business and Clinical Review - Team
Committees and Sub-Committees - On the Internet: Electronic
Team Communications and more - Crisis Interventions Provided by the CISM Team
- Large Incident CISM Protocols
- Relationship
with Non-TEMS CISM Team Assistance - Reimbursement
Policies - Appendix A: Team, Leadership, and Committee Positions
- Peer Members
- Mental Health Provider Members
- Peer Intervention Coordinators
- Eastern Shore Clinical Advisor
- Eastern Shore Training Coordinator
- Eastern Shore Meeting Coordinator
- Education and Training Committee
- Informal Guidance Committee
- Committee on the Use of Chaplains (an ad hoc committee)
- Virginia CISM Coordinating Committee Member
- Peer Candidacy Reviewer
- Administrative Coordinator
- Clinical Director
- Executive Director, Tidewater EMS Council
- Nominating Committee for Clinical Director
- Appendix B: Education and Training Committee Charter
- Appendix C: Informal Guidance Team Charter
About the Tidewater CISM Team
The Tidewater CISM team
is the regional, multi-disciplinary team accredited by the
Commonwealth of Virginia to provide critical incident stress
management (CISM) interventions in Southside Hampton Roads and the
Eastern Shore, the Commonwealth, and elsewhere as requested. The team
works as an arm of the Tidewater Emergency Medical Services Council, Inc. (TEMS), and
is composed of volunteers from the emergency services field and the
mental health field.
The team primarily
serves the Cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth,
Suffolk, and Virginia Beach, and the Counties of Accomack, Isle of
Wight, Northampton, Southampton. More than a million people reside in
the team's area of responsibility which covers more than 2,700 square
miles.*
Sponsorship and Accreditation
The Tidewater CISM Team
is sponsored by, and a committee of, the Tidewater
Emergency Medical Services Council, Inc., of Norfolk,
Virginia.
The Tidewater CISM Team
is accredited by the Office
of Emergency Medical Services, Department
of Health, Commonwealth
of Virginia to provide crisis intervention services to
emergency medical personnel, fire fighters, law enforcement officers,
dispatchers, and other emergency first responders and their families,
in southeastern Virginia.
The Tidewater CISM Team follows the standards and protocols for crisis intervention as published by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.
Mission
This is what we do
and what we’re about: The TEMS CISM team provides stress
management interventions to emergency services workers and their
families. The team provides CISM interventions -- following the
protocols of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation --
before, during, and after critical incidents.
Vision
This is our future
look and our envisioned future: CISM concepts and stress
management techniques are fully integrated in basic and continuing
education for public safety emergency responders. All emergency
responders and their families will commonly utilize stress management
techniques and services of the CISM team to help prevent cumulative
and post-incident stress. The CISM team will be immediately
responsive to all emergency responders for requests for CISM
services.
Core Values
These values drive
our actions, behavior, and performance:
Peer-Driven
We are a peer-driven
team. Our team focuses on using peer crisis intervention providers.
Our peer members are respected and creditable.
Service
We are a volunteer
organization, and we are dedicated to serving those who serve.
Confidentiality
We keep confidences.
All our interventions are completely confidential.
Life-Long
Learning
We embrace life-long
learning. We remain up-to-date with the latest information about
crisis intervention. We use every intervention as a chance to get
better with our crisis intervention skills.
Strategic Planning Summary 2008-2016
As we continue to improve our services, we must build on our successes of the past and move proactively forward to meet the needs of the organizations we serve and the emergency services personnel we assist. The following chart summarizes our strategic objectives and internal critical success factors. While the objectives and critical success factors are fairly set, the associated initiatives are not. All team members are encouraged to develop and implement initiatives which will help drive the metrics, create the key objectives, and ensure internal critical success factor success.
| Key Objectives | Measures | Initiatives |
| All emergency services providers in our area of responsibility know about CISM services offered. |
|
|
| Emergency services provider turn-over (employee churn) is reduced. |
|
|
| Other CISM teams in our AOR are supported by our accredited, regional team |
|
|
| Key Internal Critical Success Factors | Measures | Initiatives |
| Our volunteers are competent in the delivery of CISM crisis interventions. |
|
|
| Our volunteers stay abreast of changes and innovations of the CISM community. |
|
|
| Our internal processes ensure successful and effective deployment to meet the needs of all requesting agencies and people. |
|
|
This strategic summary section of the Operational
Guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures, and Strategic Plan will be updated periodically by the Clinical Director with input from the Informal Guidance Team.
CISM
Ethical Statement
Ethical standards
for all members of the Tidewater CISM Team, both peers and mental
health providers, are necessary in order to achieve team success and
effectiveness. Ethical behavior among Tidewater CISM Team members is
expected at all times. The professional and personal behaviors of
each CISM team member reflects on the team as a whole and on the
team's work. Membership bears with it the burden of the highest level
of conduct when working as a member of the TEMS CISM Team and at all
other times, also. Team members will be held accountable for their
adherence to all CISM guidelines as well as other posted policies and
procedures.
CISM professional and
ethical conduct guidelines include, but are not limited to:
Each CISM Team
Member's primary obligation is to respect the integrity and promote
the welfare of emergency services personnel and other people in
crisis, whether the person is assisted individually or in a group.
In a group setting, each team member is responsible for taking
reasonable precautions to protect individuals from physical and/or
psychological trauma resulting from interaction within the group.
Each team member
must avoid bringing personal issues to the support relationship,
especially if the potential for harm is present. Through awareness
of the negative impact of both racial and sexual stereotyping and
discrimination, each individual team member guards the individual
rights and personal dignity of every person in crisis.
Each team member
shall respect the confidentiality regarding participants'
disclosures during all CISM interventions.
When the condition
of the person-in-crisis indicates there is a clear and imminent
danger to self or others, each team member shall take reasonable
personal action or inform a team mental health provider. In the
absence of a mental health professional, a supervisor must be
notified.
Dual relationships
between the team member and the person in crisis, that might impair
the team member's objectivity and professional judgment, must be
avoided. In a case of dual relationships, the person in crisis
should be referred to another team member as soon as it is safe to
do so.
All team members
may consult with the Clinical Director, or any other mental health
provider, about any intervention or other contact.
This CISM team ethical
statement was adapted from the ethical
statement of the CISM team at Indianapolis Fire Department.
Types
of CISM Interventions Provided by the Team
The team’s CISM
interventions follow the protocols as established by Dr.
Jeffrey T. Mitchell, an expert in the field of CISM,
and promoted by the International
Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF). All
interventions -- including pre-incident education, debriefings, and
follow-up services – follow the ICISF-Model CISM.
The ICISF-Model Core
Component CISM interventions, as defined on the ICISF
website are:
Pre-crisis
preparation
This includes stress management education,
stress resistance, and crisis mitigation training for both
individuals and organizations.
Disaster
or large-scale interventions
To include school and
community support programs including demobilizations, informational
briefings, “town meetings,” and staff advisement.
Defusing
This is a 3-phase, structured small group discussion provided within
hours of a crisis for purposes of assessment, triaging, and acute
symptom mitigation.
Critical
Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)
CISDrefers to “Mitchell
Model” or “ICISFModel” 7-phase, structured group
discussion, usually provided 1 to 10 days post crisis, and designed
to mitigate acute symptoms, assess the need for follow-up, and if
possible provide a sense of post-crisis psychological closure.
Line of
Duty Death Interventions (LODD)
A Line of Duty Death or a
serious injury due to a line of duty situation, calls for special
considerations, when it comes to CISM interventions. The Clinical
Director should be consulted whenever a CISM Intervention is
requested following a LODD. The Peer Intervention Coordinator’s
responsibilities are paramount during a LODD situation. The PIC will
serve as a key liaison with the agency.
One-on-one
crisis intervention/counseling
Psychological support
throughout the full range of the crisis spectrum.
Family
crisis intervention and organizational
consultation
Follow-up and referral mechanisms
Each of these
interventions serves a different purpose and is performed by
different types of CISM trained personnel (peers or mental health
providers).
Peers should become
comfortable with providing pre-incident education, defusings, and
participating in CISDs. Participation in the other interventions is
optional and will come with experience.
For additional
information about CISM and the core components of a comprehensive
CISM program, see http://www.icisf.org/about/cismprimer.pdf
and Critical
Incident Stress Management: A New Era and Standard of Care in Crisis
Intervention (Everly and Mitchell, 1997).
Team
Membership
All members
of the CISM team are either emergency services personnel (or their
spouses) or mental health providers.
Eligibility for Membership
To be eligible for full
membership, applicants must have completed the two-day
ICISF Basic Group Crisis Intervention course offered
by the International
Critical Incident Stress Foundation, the Commonwealth
of Virginia’s Office of Emergency Medical Services,
the Tidewater CISM Team, of approved ICISF trainers.
Limited team membership
is open to applicants who have completed the two-day
ICISF Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support course
offered by the ICISF. Members admitted to a limited membership are
restricted to providing pre-crisis preparation and individual crisis
intervention only. Limited members much complete the ICISF Basic
Group course within twelve months of admission to the team. Once the
limited member has completed the Basic Group course, they will then
be admitted to full team membership, able to deliver to full spectrum
of CISM core component interventions.
Team
Member Duties and Responsibilities
The duties and
responsibilities for all team members are:
Serve as a team
member for CISM interventions as requested by the Clinical Director
or the director’s designee.
Attend quarterly
team meetings. To maintain membership in the team, each
member shall attend at least two team meetings per year.
Members may attend the Southside or Eastern Shore quarterly team
meetings.
Participate in
regular continuing education sessions. Options for continuing
education include the annual Virginia CISM Conference; team
sponsored continuing education, training sessions conducted by the
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, and other
ICISF-Model CISM training. All team members must complete at least 4
hours of continuing education on CISM topics each calendar year.
Present pre-crisis
educational programs on stress management and CISM to agencies and
groups requesting information.
Serve on team
committees and positions as requested.
Develop and
submit, as appropriate, materials for handouts and educational
materials.
Remain informed of
team operating policies and procedures.
Keep contact
information – including phone numbers, pager numbers, e-mail
addresses, and mailing address – current and up-to-date with
the team Administrative Coordinator.
Maintain
membership in the team's electronic
mail list .
Submit a completed
CISM
Team Intervention Report Form within 72 hours after
completing any CISM intervention.
Follow the
ICISF-Model CISM core components, as presented in Section 1 of this
SOP and in Critical Incident Stress Management: A New Era and
Standard of Care in Crisis Intervention (Everly and Mitchell, 1997).
Follow all
guidelines as outlined in this SOP.
All team members are
considered volunteers of the Tidewater Emergency Medical Services
Council, Inc.
Team members are
provided an identification tag for use when conducting team business.
The identification tag is the property of TEMS and must be returned
when team membership ends.
Joining
the Team and the Application Screening Process
Emergency services
workers, their spouses or significant others, and mental health
providers may apply to the Team.
The minimum education
requirement for all applicants is the successful completion of the
two-day ICISF-Model Basic Group Crisis Intervention CISM course
either conducted by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Office of
Emergency Medical Services or accredited by the International
Critical Incident Stress Foundation.
In addition to the CISM
specific training, all applicants for mental health provider
membership must hold the appropriate credentials. The Clinical
Director will review the applicant’s credentials, education
background, and vitae, and, will determine if the standards for
mental health membership are met. In all cases, the determination of
the Clinical Director is final.
Prospective team
members must submit an application for membership.
The screening team
reviews each application. The screening team consists of the
Administrative Coordinator and the Clinical Director. Additionally,
the Eastern Shore Clinical Advisor will serve on the screening team
for applicants from Northampton and Accomack Counties.
One letter of reference
from the applicant’s supervisor or chief must be submitted with
each application. The letter of reference must address the
applicant’s qualifications and specific skills related to the
duties of a CISM team member.
On receipt of application for membership, the screening team will take no more than ten days to read and consider the application. Within ten days, a
decision must be reached to accept or reject the application. If the
screening team determines that the candidate is not suitable for team
membership, the Administrative Coordinator will send the applicant a
note of thanks for the application and inform the applicant that the
application is not accepted. If the application is accepted, an
interview will be scheduled.
The screening team and
applicant will meet for an interview. The purpose of the interview is
to confirm the contents of the application, determine if the
applicant is suitable for team membership, review the applicant’s
background and training, and discuss the team operational guidelines.
If following the interview, the screening team finds that the
applicant would be a satisfactory member of the team, they will offer
the applicant a place on the team.
Resigning
from the Team
Any member wishing to
terminate team membership for any reason should discuss the matter
with one of the Administrative Coordinator, Eastern Shore Meeting
Coordinator, Clinical Director, or Eastern Shore Clinical Advisor and
then submit a letter of resignation to the Administrative
Coordinator.
Leave
of Absence
Team members may take a
leave of absence for up to 12 months. To take a leave of absence, a
member should discuss the matter with one of the directors and then
submit a letter requesting a leave of absence for a specified time
period. At the conclusion of the time period, the Administrative
Coordinator will contact the member to see if they would like to
reinstate their active membership.
Revocation/Suspension
of membership
Team membership is
revocable at the discretion of the Clinical Director on the
recommendation of a Team Review Board. Revocation/Suspension of
membership is recommended for, but not limited to, the following:
Failure to follow
the ICISF-Model CISM protocols.
Failure to attend
at least two quarterly team meetings in a calendar year.
Failure to be
present at an assigned intervention after having made a commitment
to do so.
Any
misrepresentation of the CISM team.
Acting against the
expressed direction of the Clinical Director.
Violation of
confidentiality.
Team,
Leadership, and Committee Roles
To see a
list of current team, leadership, and committee assignments, see this
list.
Clinical Director
The Clinical Director
serves as the lead mental health provider for the team. The
responsibilities of the Clinical Director include:
Chair all team
meetings.
Advise the staff
and team on clinical matters related to CISM, CISM interventions,
and emergency mental health matters.
Provide positive
influence and leadership for members of the team.
Represent the team
in matters of public relations and education.
Maintain a working
relationship with all EAP programs within the team’s
geographic area of responsibility.
Appoint a
representative to the Commonwealth’s CISM committee; appoint
the Eastern Shore Clinical Advisor; appoint Team Coordinators.
Serve as an ad
hoc member of the Education and Training Committee.
The Clinical Director
is a mental health provider member of the team. Ideally, the Clinical
Director will hold a graduate degree in the behavioral sciences or
pastoral care. In addition, the Clinical Director should have
excellent crisis intervention skills, experience with CISM
interventions, and a willingness to provide team leadership.
The clinical director's
term is two years. The current clinical director's term ends in
August 2009.
Administrative Coordinator
The Administrative
Coordinator performs all administrative functions to ensure the
success of the team. The responsibilities of the Administrative
Coordinator include:
Collecting and
maintaining CISM intervention reports.
Assisting the
Clinical Director in chairing the quarterly team meetings and
providing staff liaison and support to the Clinical Director and
team consistent with the Tidewater EMS Council Committee Management
Guidelines.
Maintaining and
publishing the team roster; the roster should be published on at
least a semi-annual basis.
Serving as an ad
hoc member of the Education and Training Committee.
The Administrative
Coordinator is a paid staff member of the TEMS Council as assigned by
the TEMS Council Executive Director. The Administrative Coordinator
will also be a peer member of the CISM team.
Eastern Shore Clinical Advisor
The Eastern Shore
Clinical Advisor is the lead mental health provider for the CISM
activities on the Eastern Shore (the Counties of Accomack and
Northampton). The Clinical Director appoints the Eastern Shore
Clinical Advisor; the normal commitment is for 2 years and is
concurrent with the Clinical Director's term. The responsibilities of
the Clinical Advisor include:
Chair the Eastern
Shore CISM Team meetings in the Clinical Director's absence.
Serve on the
Informal Guidance Team.
Serve as a mental
health professional for the Eastern Shore. The Clinical Advisor
shall establish a rotation for on-call mental health professionals
on the Eastern Shore.
Advise the
clinical director on clinical matters related to CISM, CISM
interventions, and emergency mental health matters, with special
emphasis on the Eastern Shore.
Provide positive
influence and leadership for members of the team.
Represent the team
in matters of public relations and education on the Eastern Shore.
Appoint an Eastern
Shore Meeting Coordinator.
Mental Health Provider Members
Mental health members
of the team should have a graduate degree in the behavioral sciences.
Members of the clergy, holding degrees in divinity or pastoral care,
may also serve as mental health members. Responsibilities include:
Serve on team; on
call for rotating 2 week shifts.
Perform the
initial screening of CISM requests.
Complete all
logistics for CISM interventions in conjunction with Team Peer
Intervention Coordinators.
Lead CISM
interventions as needed.
Complete each CISM
intervention they have committed to.
Maintain an
understanding of the emergency services world-of-work by conducting
periodic “ride-alongs” with various types of emergency
services workers. It is expected that each mental health provider
will participate in at least one “ride-along” each
calendar year.
Serve as the
Intervention Lead as assigned for specific interventions.
Peer Members
Peer members of the
team are emergency services personnel. Spouses and significant others
of emergency services personnel may also serve as peer members of the
team and would work with other spouses and significant others (their
peers). The responsibilities of all peer members include:
Serve on team; be
available to provide CISM interventions as needed.
Serve as liaison
to their parent agency; be a positive role model with regard to
stress management.
Peer Intervention Coordinators
Peer Intervention
Coordinators are peer members of the team who are responsible for
providing liaison to, and coordination with, mental health providers
for the logistics of CISM interventions. In addition to the peer
members roles and responsibilities, the PIC’s:
Are on call for 2
weeks shifts.
Assist the Mental
Health Provider with initial screening or CISM request.
Complete initial
logistics for CISM interventions to include, but not to,
communicating with incident agency representative, securing a
location suitable for the desired intervention.
Select Peer team
members to assist the Mental Health Provider with the intervention.
Maintain an open
line of communications with the Mental Health Provider to insure
follow-up actions include submission of the Tidewater CISM Team
Intervention Report, is completed.
Maintain a
positive image and represent the Tidewater CISM Team in a
professional manner. In many ways, the Peer intervention
Coordinators will be the first-line contact with agency leadership.
Eastern Shore Meeting Coordinator
The Eastern Shore
Meeting Coordinator is a peer member from the Eastern Shore tasked
with assisting the Clinical Advisor in coordinating and setting up
the Eastern Shore team meetings, developing the meeting agenda
following the guidelines of Section 4 of this SOP, and conducting or
coordinating an educational session for the meeting.
Virginia CISM Coordinating Committee Member
At the request of the
State Committee, the Clinical Director will nominate one or more team
members to serve on the State Coordinating Committee. Team members
selected for membership will fulfill all obligations of the State
Committee. Committee members are responsible for
Supporting the
development and enhancement of state CISM training programs;
Developing and
providing CISM program awareness;
Serving as an ad
hoc member of the Education and Training Committee;
Developing funding
strategies to support CISM at the state and local levels.
Peer Candidacy Reviewer
The Peer Candidacy
Reviewer is a peer member who serves on the screening panel for
prospective team members. The Peer Candidacy Reviewer participates in
the interview process and provides input to the clinical director
about peer and mental health candidates.
CISM
Team Activation and Deployment
Formal
Requests for CISM Services
Requests for CISM
services are generally made by emergency services workers directly to
the team’s Administrative Coordinator or, after business hours,
to the Hampton Roads Crisis Center. The Administrative Coordinator or
the Crisis Center will obtain the initial information (using the Initial Request Checklist ) and notify an on-call Mental
Health Provider or Peer intervention Coordinator.
The Mental Health
Provider or Peer Intervention Coordinator will get in touch with the
requesting individual and determine what intervention is most
appropriate. The MHP or PIC coordinating the team's deployment for an
intervention will use the Checklist for Team Deployments to ensure an
effective deployment.
Peer
Intervention Coordinator Role
The Peer Intervention
Coordinator will make all logistical arrangements necessary to ensure
the services are provided. The Checklist for Team Deployments will help ensure successful team
deployment.
The Peer Intervention
Coordinator shall ensure that the referring agency, whether the
referring agency is the Crisis Line or the TEMS Office, is briefed on
the details of the proposed intervention. In addition, the Peer
Intervention Coordinator shall notify the Administrative Coordinator
of the proposed type of intervention and the name and phone
number of the agency point of contact.
Mental
Health Provider Responsibilities
The on-call Mental
Health Provider or Peer Intervention Coordinator who receives the
referral are responsible for following through until an Intervention
Coordinator is identified. Until then, they are the de facto
Intervention Coordinator.
The assigned Mental
Health Provider is responsible for ensuring the intervention is
completed appropriately.
Requests
for Services Placed Directly to an Individual Member
Occasionally, team
members will be approached directly by emergency services workers
with a request for CISM services. The team member should evaluate
these requests carefully. Peer members are encouraged to conduct
interventions within their level of training. This means that peers
can conduct one-on-one sessions (using the SAFER Model) and
Defusings. If the peer member wants to conduct the required defusing,
they should contact a mental health provider before conducting the
defusing to ensure they are within the protocols, are prepared to
conduct the intervention, and are conducting the appropriate
intervention. There will be times, however, when, due to a need to be
responsive to a request, the peer will be unable to talk with a
mental health provider before conducting the defusing. In all cases,
the peer shall contact a mental health provider within 24 hours of
completing a defusing. If the peer does not want to conduct the
required defusing, or believes the intervention is either outside the
scope of their training or is inappropriate, the peer shall contact a
Peer Coordinator or Mental Health Provider so an Intervention
Coordinator can be named and the request responded to appropriately
and professionally.
Under all
circumstances, no team member shall work outside their level of
training. In all situations, clinical questions, such as what the
appropriate intervention should be and who should deliver the
intervention, shall be directed to the Clinical Director. Any time
the appropriate intervention is a demobilization, crisis management
briefing, or large incident leadership consultation, contact the
Clinical Director. In addition, contact the Clinical Director with
any “out of the ordinary” request.
Team
Member Readiness
While all MHP and Peer
Intervention Coordinators are on call for periodic two-week shifts,
all team members should be ready at all times to provide CISM
services.
"Uniform
of the Day" for Planned CISM Interventions
While conducting Team
business, team members shall present a professional image. During
interventions, team members shall wear an appropriate uniform from
their agency, appropriate business attire, or the TEMS CISM Team
"colors." The TEMS CISM Team apparel is the polo shirt,
windbreaker jacket, and ball cap with team insignia. All team apparel
has the team insignia embroidered on the front. The preferred member
clothing during pre-planned interventions is the team apparel.
Initial Request Checklist
Anyone receiving a request for CISM services should gather the required information and begin the process for meeting the request.
| Name of person receiving request: Person receiving the request is:
|
| Date and Time of Request: |
| Requesting Agency: Agency point of contact: Point of contact's phone number: |
Agency requests following intervention or action by the CISM Team:
|
| Action taken by person receiving initial report/request: If initial report taken by TEMS Office or Crisis Hotline:
If initial report taken by CISM team member:
|
Checklist for Team Deployment
The following list details items which shall be followed for any team deployment:
- Initial Requst Checklist completed.
- Intervention Coordinator identified and briefed. It is the responsibility of the Intervention Coordinator to follow-through and ensure intervention is completely appropriate.
- Team mental health provider briefed.
- Initial evaluation conducted.
- Clinical Director consulted, if necessary.
- Determination made for appropriate intervention, timing, and team assignment.
- Distinguish between types of participants as well as non-responders who may attempt to participate in the intervention; adjust team makeup accordingly.
- Site for intervention determined. A quiet, neutral location is preferred.
- Assurance made by Agency that personnel being debriefed will be in an off-watch status and unavailable to respond to calls.
- Intervention team assembled, using appropriate mix and number of team personnel.
- If referral came from Crisis Line, brief Crisis Line on the anticipated team intervention.
- Administrative Director briefed on anticipated Team action.
- Intervention provided.
- Team report completed by lead team member at intervention and filed with the Administrative Director.
Quarterly Team
Meetings for Business and Clinical Review
Meeting
Dates
Team meetings will be
held as noted below:
Southside
Meetings
Team meetings are held quarterly on the
Southside.
February -- First
Tuesday
May -- First
Monday
August -- First
Tuesday
November -- First
Monday
Eastern Shore
Meetings
Team meetings are held quarterly on the Eastern Shore on Tuesday of the week following the Southside meetings. Eastern Shore meetings will be held either in Melfa or Machipongo according to the following schedule:
- February -- at Melfa Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Melfa, VA
- May -- at Northampton EMS Office, Machipongo, VA
- August -- at Melfa Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Melfa, VA
- November -- at Northampton EMS Office, Machipongo, VA
Requirement
to Attend Quarterly Meetings
Southside quarterly
meetings will be held at the TEMS Council Offices and will start at
5:30 pm. Each meeting will consist of a business portion (to discuss
Team business), a review of all CISM interventions since the last
meeting, and an educational component. Meetings will last no more
than 90 minutes. Team meetings are an important part of being a part
of the CISM team; team members should attend every meeting, if at all
possible.
To maintain membership
in the team, each member must attend at least two quarterly team
meeting per calendar year. Team members may attend Southside and/or
Eastern Shore meetings.
Team
Meeting Agenda
Call to Order,
Ice-breaker, Introductions, Approve minutes of previous meeting.
Intervention
Review, follows format delineated below.
Review of Team
Finances.
Clinical
Director's Report
Administrative
Director's Report
Continuing and
Ongoing business.
New Business.
Announce next
meeting.
Educational
Session.
Intervention/Clinical
Reviews
Every intervention
conducted by the TEMS CISM Team will be reviewed at the quarterly
team meetings. Each verbal review will cover the following elements:
The
Incident
- Synopsis of
incident - Types of personnel
involved
The
Intervention
- Type of
intervention - Intervention team
members - Number and type of
intervention participants - Issues presented
by participants - Signs of critical
incident stress noted or observed - Follow-ups made
- Successes and
challenges with the intervention
Team
Care
- Effect of
intervention on team members - Post-intervention
care provided to team - Signs of
compassion stress or compassion fatigue (secondarily induced stress)
noted
Lessons
Learned
- Any take-aways
from the intervention
Team
Committees and Sub-Committees
The Clinical Director
may, from time to time, name members to various committees and
sub-committees to conduct team business. For instance, a committee
will nominate at least one mental health professional for the
position of Clinical Director at the end of each two year term.
Standing Committees
The following are the
standing committees as appointed by the Clinical Director:
Education & Training Committee (EATC) -- to arrange for
team trainings and oversee all team training issues.
Informal Guidance Committee (IGC) -- to provide input to the Clinical Director; serve
as informal team leadership.
Team
Review Board
A Team Review Board
will be convened, at the discretion of the Clinical Director and the
Administrative Coordinator, to review a member’s conduct or
performance or to conduct a case study and review of a particular
CISM intervention. The reasons for convening a Review Board may be
for clinical or non-clinical issues. The Review Board will be made up
of at least three members of the team. At least one of the members
will be a mental health member of the team. The Clinical Director and
the Administrative Coordinator shall not serve on the Review Board.
Once a Review Board is
established, the Board will meet, or conduct an initial phone
conference, within 72 hours of notification. Within 14 days of
establishment, the Review Board shall complete its review and file a
written report to the Clinical Director. The Clinical Director will
review the board report and will either initiate the actions
recommended by the Review Board or will take other actions in
agreement with the Administrative Coordinator. The Directors will
make their decision within 14 days of receiving the final report from
the Review Board.
Ad hoc Committees
The Clinical Director
or Administrative Coordinator will appoint other committees as
needed.
On the Internet: Electronic
Team Communications and more
Offical
Team Website
The TEMS CISM Team
maintains a members' only website with meeting minutes and agendas,
intervention and education handouts, intervention report, team
roster, team on-call schedule and helpful links. Upon approval for
membership, the Administrative Coordinator will provide username and
password access to this site. Suggestions for additional postings to
the site should be forwarded to the Administrative Coordinator. Note that the on-line intervention report is located at this members only website.
Email
Distribution List
Also located on the
member-only website is a link
to subscribe and manage subscriptions to the team listserv,
an electronic mailing list for team member use. This listserv is the
primary method of communications between team members. All members
should subscribe to the listserv. Common sense and internet/e-mail
etiquette should be followed at all times for email posted to the
team listserv and between team members. You can sign up for our
email list, and receive timely information straight to your inbox,
here.
Suggestion
Box
The Team also hosts a
team
suggestion box! Click
here and you'll be delivered to a
brief form you can use to make a suggestion, complain, praise,
comment, or whatever. Your message will be delivered
to both the team's Administrative Coordinator and Clinical Director.
Blog
The Team also has a
blog: Tidewater
CISM Blog. If you would like to contribute to the
blog, just let Peter know, and he will arrange for your permissions.
You can read
the blog online, or you can subscribe
in a reader.
General CISM Information Website (on Wikispaces)
The Team has built and maintains a wiki with general CISM information. The site, at http://cism.wikispaces.com, has a breadth of information which is of use to team members as well as emergency services personnel who have experienced a traumatic event. The content from all of the team handouts is on this site along with other articles and reference materials. Team members are encouraged to edit and add to this site. Team members are also encouraged to provide the link to emergency services personnel so that they may review the content at their leisure.
Crisis Interventions Provided by the CISM Team
Report of Interventions Provided
Following each CISM
intervention, the intervention lead – or the team member who
conducted the intervention – must complete a Tidewater EMS Council On-Line CISM Team Report. This report must be
completed within 72 hours following the intervention and may be
faxed, emailed, or mailed to the TEMS office.
In addition, in order
to maintain a status of current and upcoming interventions, the team
member coordinating a group intervention – or a one-on-one for
an event with significant media coverage – shall notify the
Administrative Coordinator of the proposed intervention and the name
and phone number of the agency point of contact. The team member who
has responsibility for coordinating the intervention is responsible
for making this notification to the TEMS Office; for group
interventions, the Peer Intervention Coordinator is responsible for
notifying the office.
Standard
of Care Survey
At the conclusion of
every intervention, the intervention leader (always a MHP for a
debriefing) will leave a copy of the Standard of Care Survey with the agency point of contact. The intervention
leader will ask that the agency POC complete the form and mail it to
the TEMS office. The Clinical Director and the Administrative
Coordinator will review copies of completed surveys. The Eastern
Shore Clinical Advisor will also review the surveys for interventions
completed in Accomack and Northampton Counties. If the reviewers need
clarification, they will contact the agency POC.
Requirements
for All Team-Conducted Crisis Intervention
All TEMS CISM Team
members shall adhere to the following requirements during all CISM
interventions. Direct any questions to the Clinical Director.
CISM
Interventions are Confidential
Strict confidentiality
shall be maintained. All information regarding agencies involved,
situations for which CISM interventions have been provided, and
issues discussed during all CISM interventions shall not be divulged
before or after an intervention except with team members as a part of
the team continuing education process. Any team member who chooses to
conduct research or publish any written work based on a team endorsed
intervention shall contact the Clinical Director.
No mechanical
recordings or written notes shall be made during any CISM
intervention.
Media
Contact Before, During, and After CISM Interventions
No media personnel (TV,
radio, printed media, etc) will be allowed to film or report on any
CISM intervention. In the event that these individuals are present
without team knowledge, an opening statement by the team leader such
as “everything that is said here is off the record” may
be helpful. This does not guarantee, however, that information will
not be reported by the media.
Participants in the
intervention may speak to the media either before or after the
debriefing. They should not, however, discuss what occurred within
the confines of the intervention, with the exception of their own
experiences. It is important for the CISM intervention leader to
explain that individuals speak only for themselves and not for anyone
else in the intervention.
Members of the CISM
team may speak to the media to educate them about the CISM process
and to discuss the effects of the stress. Specific interventions may
not be discussed under any circumstances. Under most circumstances,
the Clinical Director will serve as the team media representative.
Appropriate
Guidelines Must be Followed
CISM interventions are
not a critique of the incident. The team has no evaluation function
of tactical procedures. The CISM process provides a format in which
personnel can discuss their feelings and reactions, and thus reduce
the stress resulting from exposure to critical incidents. The goal of
the CISM intervention is to encourage ventilation of emotions and a
rebalancing of the individuals and the group. The lead mental health
provider, or senior peer if no mental health provider is present, is
responsible for assuring the team guidelines and the appropriate
ICISF-Model CISM intervention are followed.
Large Incident CISM Protocols
Large incidents –
such as an airline crash, terrorist attack, hurricane, flooding, or
other man-made or natural disaster impacting hundreds or thousands of
people – deserve special consideration.
When
to use this protocol
The Clinical Director
will determine when these large incident protocols are to be used.
Primary
focus during large incidents
The primary focus of
all CISM team members during the initial hours of the incident will
be to provide basic needs to emergency services personnel and to
continually assess the psychological and physical well-being of
emergency services personnel. CISM team members shall be available
and present at the incident site.
CISM team members must
remember that while emergency services personnel are engaged in work,
they will likely have defense mechanisms up and will be adequately
coping with the stress of the incident. If the emergency services
person is doing work, provide basic needs such as water, food, and
personal protective equipment. Remember that if you begin to dive
into thoughts and feelings, you will likely break the person’s
normal coping mechanisms and possibly create a dangerous situation.
Reporting
for duty
Assemble, in team
uniform, at designated location. Bring team credentials and water.
Wear appropriate shoes or boots.
Large
incident team roles and responsibilities
Crisis
Intervention Response Coordinator (CIRC). The Clinical
Director, or other designated mental health clinician, will serve as
the Crisis Intervention Response Commander and will liaison with the
Incident Command System leadership. In addition, the CIRC will
liaison with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation
and the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services, as needed. In
ICS terminology, the CIRC is the Critical
Incident Stress Management Specialist and reports
directly to the Incident Command or Unified Command.
Crisis
Intervention Response Administrative Coordinator (CIRAC).
The team Administrative Coordinator, or other designated team
member, will serve as the administrative coordinator and assist the Crisis Intervention Response Commander.
Lead
Shift Clinician (LSC). The Crisis Intervention Response Commander will
designate lead mental health providers for each shift.
Crisis
Intervention Team Liaison Officers (CITLO). The Crisis Intervention Response Commander will designate specific team members to serve as
liaison with other crisis intervention teams providing services for
the incident. These liaison officers will serve as the primary
communication points-of-contacts for these other crisis intervention
providers. They will provide updates and status reports to the Lead Shift Clinician
every shift.
Large
incident battle rhythm
The Crisis Intervention Response Commander will set
the “battle rhythm” for the incident response in
alignment with the schedule set by the Incident Commander.
If a formal CISM
demobilization is to be established, emergency services personnel
are to proceed through the demobilization process once, and once
only, by team, squad, company, or other natural work group.
The
education component shall be kept short – less then 10 minutes
– with only one primary handout provided. Do not overwhelm the
personnel. Emergency services personnel will proceed through the
demobilization process at the conclusion of one shift or tour
involved in the incident. They may return after a period of rest and
resume work at the incident, but they will not go through the
demobilization again. Under no circumstances are emergency services
personnel to be made to “run a gauntlet” of crisis
intervention providers.
The primary
intervention is assessment and providing basic needs. This is a
“ministry of presence.” If someone approaches a CISM
team member and wants to talk, use the SAFER-R Model.
The team will
maintain a team status board at the team’s base or other
designated location. The CIRC, CIRAC, and LSC are responsible for
maintaining and updating the status board.
Under all
circumstances, all CISM team members are to use the appropriate
terminology when referring to specific interventions. When we say
“debriefing” we mean a formal, 7-step, Foundation-model,
small group, CISM intervention. This is different then, say, a
meeting or an out-brief or a shift brief or an in-brief. Please be
precise in your use of language.
At the conclusion
of each shift, all shift members will meet with the LSC for team
care. Following team care and the release of the team members, the
LSC will meet with the CICR to review the well-being of the team
members.
Team
Status Board
An
electronic team status board can be found at Zoho
Sheet .
The electronic
status board can also be found here at Google
Documents .
The status
board is also posted as an xls file at Google Base.
Relationship
with Non-TEMS CISM Team Assistance
With
Employee Assistance Programs
In some instances, the
requesting agency may have a contract for Employee Assistance Program
(EAP) Services. The EAP services may include individual or group
after-incident sessions; these services may be accessed by the
employee through the EAP. Services provided by the EAP are in
addition to any services provided by the TEMS CISM Team; once the
CISM team is activated, the CISM protocols must be followed,
including that all services rendered by the team shall be completed
only by team members.
In all circumstances
when CISM is not appropriate, TEMS CISM Team members will provide
appropriate referral, and facilitate that referral to ensure that the
individual’s needs are met. For agencies with an EAP, the EAP
will generally be the first suggestion for referral made.
With
Other Mental Health Providers
All TEMS CISM Team
members will provide referrals whenever appropriate. Generally, when
a CISM intervention participant is in need of in-depth or short-term
counseling, a referral should be made. The team maintains a referral
list. Under no circumstances should a member provide someone with
only one name; generally, the names of at least three mental health
providers should be provided. The team member providing the referral
should facilitate the referral, as common sense dictates. Nothing
here should discourage team members from following up on participants
of CISM interventions. In addition, mental health providers who wish
to provide services stemming from an intervention but outside the
scope of the CISM team may provide those services on a pro-bono
basis. Under no circumstances should a mental health provider create
an unethical situation or one that either is, or appears to be, a
conflict of interest.
With
other CISM teams
The TEMS CISM Team is
not
the only CISM team operating within the Tidewater area.
The U.S. Navy Sprint Team is based at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
and a U.S. Coast Guard CISM team is based at Integrated Support
Command Portsmouth; in addition, several local agencies, including
the Virginia Beach Police Department have their own CISM teams.
However, the TEMS CISM team is the single regional team accredited by
the Commonwealth of Virginia to provide CISM services to emergency
service agencies in Southside Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore (to
include the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach,
Chesapeake, Suffolk, Franklin, and the Counties of Accomack, Isle of
Wright, Northampton, and Southampton).
When the TEMS CISM team
is activated, it will provide the best possible standard of care to
the affected emergency services personnel. Any CISM intervention
performed under the auspices of the TEMS CISM Team must follow the
ICISF-Model CISM protocols. In the event that more than one CISM team
is activated for a single critical incident, the TEMS CISM Clinical
Director may allow for a ICISF-Model intervention to be completed by
a group made up of team members from more than one team.
In
the event of a large scale critical incident (such as
an aircraft accident or natural disaster) other agencies will become
involved. The TEMS CISM Team’s primary concern will be for the
members of emergency service agencies within our geographic area of
responsibility. Agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
the National Transportation Safety Board, and the military will
generally have CISM teams to provide services to their members. The
Clinical Director will serve as the primary point of contact with
those teams and will be assisted by the Administrative Coordinator.
The Clinical Director may appoint other members of the CISM team,
peers or mental health professionals, to serve as liaison with one or
more CISM teams during a large scale incident; generally these
designated members will be Peer Intervention Coordinators. CISM
teams, or individuals offering services, who are not specifically
invited by a particular agency, will be discouraged from working with
any emergency services agency; the Clinical Director will advise
agencies within the TEMS area of responsibility on the advisability
of such services. In the event that an incident is too large for the
TEMS team to provide an adequate standard of care, the Commonwealth’s
Emergency Operations Center will be contacted with a request for
mutual aid services by another accredited CISM team or CISM strike
team.
Reimbursement
Policies
Team members providing
interventions outside of jurisdiction of their home of residence and
their place of employment may receive reimbursement for travel in the
performance of their duties. Team members requesting reimbursement
shall notify the Administrative Coordinator who will provide copies
of the required paperwork to execute the reimbursement. Travel costs
which may be reimbursed include mileage for the use of a privately
owned vehicle, toll costs, and required commercial transportation.
Generally, all travel for CISM interventions conducted as a member of
the TEMS CISM Team outside of the city or county of the member’s
home and employment will be reimbursed on request.
Occasionally, the team
will reimburse team members some or all of the cost of various CISM
trainings. The team expects that before approaching the team for
funding, the team member will first seek funding from their employer.
In the event some or all of the cost of CISM training is not covered
by the member’s employer, the team may reimburse some or all of
the costs. Under no circumstances will the team reimburse for
expenses already covered by another agency or organization. Team
members who are interested in seeking reimbursement for CISM training
and continuing education should contact the Administrative
Coordinator to make a proposal. Reimbursement is made on an
individual, case by case basis. Under no circumstances should a team
member expect or anticipate reimbursement until they have received
approval from the Administrative Coordinator. Following approval, the
Administrative Coordinator will provide the team member copies of the
required paperwork to execute the reimbursement.
The Team and the
Tidewater EMS Council will comply with all Office of Emergency
Medical Services policies and procedures regarding finances and
financial reimbursements.
Appendix A: Team, Leadership, and Committee Positions
The following delineates the current team, leadership, and committee positions for the Tidewater CISM Team. This information will be kept current by the Clinical Director and Administrative Coordinator. Changes to this appendix do not require approval by the team.
Peer Members
- Venita Baker (EMS/Police)
- Aimee Barrineau (Fire/EMS)
- Elizabeth Beatty (EMS)
- Ewing Best (EMS)
- Kimberly Brown (Fire/EMS)
- Sharon Brown (EMS)
- Don Butler (Police)
- Bob Callahan (EMS)
- John Carey (EMS/Dive)
- Hollye Carpenter (EMS)
- James Chandler (EMS)
- Bob Chauncey (Police/Sheriff/Fire/CERT)
- Reba Clayton (EMS/Nurse)
- Mason Copeland (Fire/EMS)
- Leilani DeForest (EMS)
- Kathleen Dunhoff (EMS)
- Sean Dunn (Police)
- Deborah Flavin (EMS)
- Doris Foster (EMS)
- Sheron Gibson, Sr. (Fire/EMS/ER)
- Annamaria Haj (Police)
- Charles Herman (Military)
- Heidi Hilchey (EMS)
- Joseph Holland (Fire/EMS)
- Diane Ivey (EMS)
- Dana Johnson (Police)
- Lori Kaliher (Hospital)
- Frank Klein (Police)
- Bill Laws (EMS)
- Kay Laws (EMS)
- David McCready (Fire/EMS)
- Mary Ann Montero (EMS)
- Diana Moore (EMS)
- Robert Moore, Jr. (Fire/EMS)
- Owen Pitchford
- Eva Marie Pitrone (Fire/EMS)
- Kimberly Rideout (Fire/EMS)
- Tony Rodriguez (Comms)
- Armand Rubbo (Police/Fire/EMS)
- Eric Schleif (EMS)
- Robert Starowicz (Police/EMS)
- Catherine Ulrich (EMS)
- Bill Walker
- David White (Police)
Mental Health Provider Members
- Charles Broadfield, Ph.D.
- Roosevelt Brown, M.Div.
- Jennifer Brown, Ph.D.
- Patricia Kellam, M.Div.
- Cookie Ketcham, M.Ed.
- Jill Kundtz, RN, M.Div., BCC
- Deborah Linnell, Ph.D.
- Andrew McMenamin, M.Div.
- Eleanor Mosholder
- Toni Neally, M.S.W.
- Rick Peterson
- Michael Rattin, LPC
- Shnai Simmons
- Peter Stinson, M.Ed.
- Peggy Swan, M.A.
- Sherry Todd
- Holly Tracy, LPC, LMFT, CTS
- Weare Zwemer, Ph.D.
Peer Intervention Coordinators
- Elizabeth Beatty
- Sharon Brown
- Mason Copeland
- Doris Foster
- Sheron Gibson
- Diane Ivey
- Mary Montero
- Armand Rubbo
Eastern Shore Clinical Advisor
- Patricia Kellam
Eastern Shore Training Coordinator
- Deborah Linnell
Eastern Shore Meeting Coordinator
- Hollye Carpenter
Education and Training Committee
- Sherry Todd
- Jennifer Brown
- Bob Chauncey
- Joey Holland
- Sheron Gibson
- Kimberly Rideout
- Armand Rubbo
- Deborah Linnell, ad hoc member
- Mason Copeland, ad hoc member
- Heidi Hilchey, ad hoc member
- Peter Stinson, ad hoc member
Informal Guidance Committee
- Diane Ivey
- Weare Zwemer
- Doris Foster
- Peggy Swann
- Mason Copeland, ad hoc member
- Jim Chandler, ad hoc member
Committee on the Use of Chaplains (an ad hoc committee)
- Roosevelt Brown, Committe Chair
- Bob Chauncey
- Jill Kundtz
- Patricia Kellam
Virginia CISM Coordinating Committee Member
- Mason Copeland
Peer Candidacy Reviewer
- Diane Ivey
Administrative Coordinator
Clinical Director
Executive Director, Tidewater EMS Council
- Jim Chandler
Nominating Committee for Clinical Director
- Named by the current clinical director as needed; next committee named in May 2009 for election of the clinical director in August 2009.
Appendix B: Education and Training Committee Charter
Charter Purpose
The purpose of this Charter is to
set the direction for the Committee and to specify the work of the
Committee. The Education and Training Committee (EATC) is a standing
committee of the TEMS CISM Team.
Committee Mission
The mission of the Education &
Training Committee is to design, implement, and oversee a comprehensive
training program for the TEMS CISM Team.
Committee Members
See the list of current members here.
The Clinical Director, Administrative Coordinator, Eastern Shore Training Coordinator , and Virginia CISM Coordinating Committee Member are all ad hoc members of the EATC and shall be invited to every meeting. The ad hoc members have a voice at the table but are not voting members of the Committee.
Problem Statement
The members of the TEMS CISM Team
often find themselves not using their skills on a regular basis
resulting in brown-out. In addition, the field of crisis intervention
is continually growing, shifting, and expanding, and TEMS CISM Team
members are not always current with knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Lastly, the TEMS CISM Team uses a specific crisis intervention model;
team members are not always as familiar with the model and the various
protocols as is helpful.
Business Case for the Committee
The work of this
committee is paramount to the continued and ongoing success of the TEMS
CISM Team. The members of the TEMS CISM Team must be ready to deliver
the full spectrum of crisis intervention services following all types
of critical incidents; training and education is principal for the CISM
Team’s success.
Objectives and Goals
The primary objective for the
Education & Training Committee is to maintain and enhance the
knowledge, skills, and abilities of TEMS CISM Team members.
Committee Scope, Boundaries, and Constraints
The
Education & Training Committee is to create a comprehensive
training and education plan and strategy with associated tactics to
ensure the maintenance and enhancement of CISM team members’ knowledge,
skills, and abilities. The plan is to include periodic in-service
sessions for TEMS CISM Team members along with other crisis
intervention providers in the team’s area of responsibility. The committee may consider
other initiatives including sponsoring stand-alone ICISF courses, ICISF
regional conferences, or other offerings.
The committee’s plan should be fiscally self-supporting and, ideally,
provide income/profit to the TEMS CISM Team. The plan should also
leverage the talents and credentials of the TEMS CISM Team members.
Critical Success Factors
The following are critical for the success of the Education & Training Committee:
- Regular and periodic training and education sessions.
- An overarching training and education strategy with associated tactics.
Impact on Stakeholders
The Education & Training
Committee’s impact should be immediate and ongoing in terms of
providing opportunities for TEMS CISM Team members to enhance crisis
intervention knowledge, skills, and abilities.
The Training Committee’s work should provide funds for the operation of the TEMS CISM Team.
Committee Milestones
The Education & Training
Committee will create a strategy, with associated tactics, for training
and education. This strategy will be presented by the Education &
Training Committee at the February 2009 TEMS CISM Team quarterly
meeting. This strategy will be revisited, and revised as needed, every
year.
Committee Meetings
The committee will meet as
needed as determined by the committee chair. The committee may meet
face-to-face or may meet in a virtual or electronic format.
All committee meetings will be chaired by the committee chair.
Committee Structure
The Team consists of the
committee chair and committee members. The team Clinical Director and
Administrative Coordinator both serve as ad hoc members of the committee.
Roles and Responsibilities
Executive Champion
The committee champion is the team’s clinical director. The champion is
responsible for ensuring that the team is supported by the TEMS
Council. In addition, the champion is responsible for reducing or
eliminating organizational barriers which negatively impact the
committee’s work.
Committee Chair
The committee chair is
responsible for overseeing the work of the committee. In addition, the
committee chair leads/facilitates committee meetings and serves as the
link to the clinical director.
The TEMS CISM Team clinical director shall name the committee chair.
The committee chair serves for a two-year term to run concurrent with
the clinical director’s term. The committee chair may serve consecutive
terms.
Committee Members
Committee members are key and are responsible for carrying out the work of the team.
The TEMS CISM Team clinical director shall name the members of the
committee. Committee members serve two year terms, concurrent with the
clinical director’s term, and may serve consecutive terms.
Appendix C: Informal Guidance Team Charter
Charter Purpose
The purpose of this Charter is to
set the direction for the Committee and to specify the work of the
Committee. The Informal Guidance Team is a standing committee of the
TEMS CISM Team.
Committee Mission
The mission of the Informal
Guidance Team is to provide guidance to the Clinical Director and
Administrative Coordinator and to help establish the strategic
direction and strategic plan for the team.
Committee Members
The list of committee members can be found here.
The Executive Director of the Tidewater Emergency Medical Services Council, and the team's representative to the state committee on CISM
are both ad hoc members of the Informal Guidance Team.
Problem Statement
Leading an all-volunteer human
services agency is a difficult prospect. One or two people do not have
the breadth of knowledge and experience to expertly lead the team
through the rapids of change.
Business Case for the Committee
The work of this
committee is paramount to the continued and ongoing success of the TEMS
CISM Team. The IGT will provide counsel and guidance to the clinical
director and administrative coordinator and assist in setting the
strategic direction of the team.
Objectives and Goals
TBD
Committee Scope, Boundaries, and Constraints
TBD
Critical Success Factors
The following are critical for the success of the Informal Guidance Team:
- Establishing a strategic direction and plan for the team.
- Providing unvarnished counsel and advice to the clinical director and the administrative coordinator.
Impact on Stakeholders
The Informal Guidance Team's
impact should be immediate and ongoing in terms of providing counsel
and guidance to the elected senior leadership of the team and the
designated TEMS staff member responsible for supporting the team.
Committee Milestones
The Informal Guidance Team will provide guidance and counsel to the clinical director. In addition, the IGT will serve as the strategic planning body for the team, developing strategies and tactics to move the team forward in meeting the needs of those we serve. The Informal Guidance Team will meet yearly, usually sometime in the first quarter of the calendar year.
Committee Meetings
The committee will meet at least
once per year. The set meeting is the second Wednesday in April at 1730
at a location to be determined by the Clinical Director. The Informal
Guidance Team may be requested to gather at other times throughout the
year as determined by the Clinical Director. The April meeting will be
face-to-face; additional meetings of the IGT may be face-to-face or may
be in a virtual or electronic format.
All committee meetings will be chaired by the Clinical Director.
Committee Structure
The Team consists of the
committee chair and committee members. The team Clinical Director
serves as the chair of the Informal Guidance Committee.
Roles and Responsibilities
Executive Champion
The committee champion is the Executive Director of the Tidewater EMS
Council. The champion is responsible for ensuring that the guidance and
counsel provided by the IGT are thoughtfully considered by the Clinical
Director. In addition, the champion is responsible for reducing or
eliminating organizational barriers which negatively impact the
committee’s work.
Committee Chair
The committee chair is
responsible for overseeing the work of the IGT. In addition, the
committee chair leads/facilitates committee meetings and serves as the
link to the TEMS Council Executive Director, as needed.
Committee Members
Committee members are key and are responsible for carrying out the work of the team.
Members of the IGT serve at the request and pleasure of the clinical
director. The TEMS CISM Team clinical director shall name the members
of the committee. Committee members generally serve two year terms,
concurrent with the clinical director’s term, and may serve consecutive
terms.
