International Critical Incident Stress Foundation

International Critical Incident Stress Foundation The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. To learn more, visit our website at www.icisf.org.
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ICISF provides support and information about disaster behavioral health to the emergency response professions, other organizations, and communities throughout the world. (ICISF) is a not for profit, 501(c)3 organization and our mission is to be the leader in providing education, training, consultation, and support services in comprehensive crisis intervention and disaster behavioral health services to emergency responders, and other professions, organizations and communities worldwide. Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) is a method of helping first responders and others who have been involved in critical incidents that leave them emotionally and/or physically affected by those incidents. CISM is a process that enables peers to help their peers understand problems that might occur after a crises. This process also helps individuals prepare to continue to perform their services or in some cases return to a normal lifestyle. ICISF provides CISM education, training and resources for individuals interested in becoming part of a crisis management team, or for an organization/profession that is dedicated to helping individuals or groups recover from a crises.

During National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, we recognize the calm voices behind the chaos—the 911 dispatchers ...
04/13/2026

During National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, we recognize the calm voices behind the chaos—the 911 dispatchers and telecommunicators who are often the first point of contact in a crisis.

Every call they answer carries urgency, emotion, and responsibility. These professionals not only coordinate life-saving responses, but also absorb the weight of trauma in real time—making their role one of the most critical, and often overlooked, in public safety.

At ICISF, we emphasize the importance of providing telecommunicators with access to critical incident stress management (CISM), peer support, and resilience-building resources. Supporting their mental health isn’t optional—it’s essential to sustaining the entire emergency response system.

This week, and every week, let’s commit to recognizing, supporting, and equipping those who are always there when it matters most.

Resilience isn’t built alone, it’s built across the entire team 🚨From leadership to the front line, how people communica...
04/13/2026

Resilience isn’t built alone, it’s built across the entire team 🚨

From leadership to the front line, how people communicate, support each other, and respond after difficult calls shapes the culture more than any single moment. �

Join ICISF’s virtual training by visiting ICISF.org: �
👉May 11-12: Grief Following Trauma
👉May 14-15: Advanced Assisting Individuals in Crisis
👉June 10-11: Crisis Informed Peer Paracounseling
👉June 15: Resilient Leadership for Emergency Services & Healthcare Professions

When resilience is a shared priority, it becomes part of how the system functions, not just how individuals cope.

Because strong teams don’t just respond to crises, they recover from them, together!

The first conversation is just the beginning, not the finish line 🚨From stabilizing in the moment to guiding group inter...
04/10/2026

The first conversation is just the beginning, not the finish line 🚨

From stabilizing in the moment to guiding group interventions like defusings and debriefings, each step builds on the last to support real recovery, not just immediate response.

Effective crisis care evolves with the needs of the people in front of you.

Join us at ICISF’s upcoming virtual training: �
👉May 11-12: Grief Following Trauma
👉May 14-15: Advanced Assisting Individuals in Crisis
👉June 10-11: Crisis Informed Peer Paracounseling
👉June 15: Resilient Leadership for Emergency Services & Healthcare Professions

Learn more + register: icisf.org/virtual-training/

Awareness isn’t passive. ��It’s what gives you the chance to act before it becomes a crisis.A teammate pulling back. Da...
04/09/2026

Awareness isn’t passive. ��It’s what gives you the chance to act before it becomes a crisis.

A teammate pulling back. Dark humor getting darker. Changes in sleep, mood, or how they show up on shift. These aren’t just “bad days”, they can be early indicators that someone is struggling more than they’re saying.

Su***de intervention starts with noticing, asking direct questions, and staying present long enough to connect them to support.

Learn the skills to support yourself and your team at our upcoming training: �
👉May 11-12: Grief Following Trauma
👉May 14-15: Advanced Assisting Individuals in Crisis
👉June 10-11: Crisis Informed Peer Paracounseling: Intervention Enhancement to the CISM Continuum

Learn more + register: icisf.org/virtual-training/

Are you confident in how you support others after a critical incident?ICISF’s Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)...
04/08/2026

Are you confident in how you support others after a critical incident?

ICISF’s Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM): An Introduction is a concise, 9-minute video that breaks down the proven framework behind effective crisis response—so you can act with clarity when it matters most.

✔️ Understand the full continuum of care
✔️ Learn when and how to apply key interventions
✔️ Strengthen your confidence in real-world situations

Whether you're a first responder, peer supporter, or leader, this resource helps turn knowledge into actionable support.

🎥 Get the video: https://cismbookstore.com/catalog/book/critical-incident-stress-management-cism

Looking to strengthen your team’s response to crisis and trauma?ICISF’s Speakers Bureau brings expert-led, real-world tr...
04/07/2026

Looking to strengthen your team’s response to crisis and trauma?

ICISF’s Speakers Bureau brings expert-led, real-world training directly to your organization—equipping your personnel with the skills to support mental health, build resilience, and respond effectively when it matters most.

Whether you serve first responders, healthcare teams, educators, or corporate staff, this program delivers practical tools that make an immediate impact.

Interested in bringing this training to your organization? Contact Millie at Milliem@icisf.org to learn more.

Some calls don’t just affect one person, they impact the whole crew 🚨Defusings & Critical Incident Stress Debriefings (C...
04/06/2026

Some calls don’t just affect one person, they impact the whole crew 🚨

Defusings & Critical Incident Stress Debriefings (CISD) are built for those moments, bringing teams together to reduce stress, restore function, and make sure no one slips through the cracks after a difficult call.

This practical field guide, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) & Defusing written by ICISF’s cofounders Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Everly walks you through exactly how to apply these interventions with structure and purpose.

Because after the call, the team still needs support. Get your field guide today at cismbookstore.com

Thirty years in this work… and still finding moments to laugh along the way!In Let There Be Hope: An Instructor’s Journe...
04/05/2026

Thirty years in this work… and still finding moments to laugh along the way!

In Let There Be Hope: An Instructor’s Journey Through the CISM World, Barb Ertl shares real stories from decades in crisis response, blending humor, hard-earned insight, and practical lessons you can actually use in the field.

Because sometimes the best way to understand this work is through the people who’ve lived it.��

Get your copy now at cismbookstore.com!

��

Not all grief shows up at a funeral.For first responders, grief often builds quietly, call after call, loss after loss, ...
04/04/2026

Not all grief shows up at a funeral.

For first responders, grief often builds quietly, call after call, loss after loss, with no time to process it before the next tone drops. ��

"Duty, Honor, Hope" brings those experiences into the open, sharing real stories from 21 responders and offering a practical way to unpack what’s been carried for too long.

Because what goes unmourned doesn’t disappear, it accumulates. And there is a way to work through it. Grab the book “Duty, Honor, Hope” at cismbookstore.com!

You handled the scene, now your system is still trying to catch up 🧠After a critical incident, your mind replays it, you...
04/03/2026

You handled the scene, now your system is still trying to catch up 🧠

After a critical incident, your mind replays it, your body holds it, and your energy takes the hit. Holistic wellness is about learning how to bring all of that back into balance, so you’re not carrying it into the next call.

Learn how to reset and recover with practical skills in our upcoming virtual training: ��
👉April 22-23: Spiritual and Psychological First Aid
👉May 14-15: Advanced Assisting Individuals in Crisis

60-min Learning with Leaders session coming up:
👉April 1: The Evidence Behind Self-Care

Learn more + register: icisf.org/virtual-training/

Can crisis responders truly grow after trauma—not just survive it? Yes—through what’s known as post-traumatic growth, re...
04/02/2026

Can crisis responders truly grow after trauma—not just survive it?

Yes—through what’s known as post-traumatic growth, responders can move beyond survival and experience meaningful transformation. Research shows this growth comes not from the trauma itself, but from the process of working through it—leading to stronger relationships, deeper purpose, increased resilience, and a renewed appreciation for life.

For those on the front lines, this matters. The weight of what you carry doesn’t just change you—it can strengthen you. Post-traumatic growth is about finding meaning in the mission, connection in the struggle, and purpose in the aftermath. It’s the difference between returning to baseline… and rising beyond it.

At ICISF, we equip crisis responders with the tools to support not only recovery—but growth. Because healing isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting point for something stronger.

Continue your growth journey:
• Spiritual and Psychological First Aid (4/22 – 4/23)
• Advanced Assisting Individuals in Crisis (5/14 – 5/15)
☑️ Register here: https://icisf.org/virtual-training/

Address

3290 Pine Orchard Lane, Ste 106
Ellicott City, MD
21042

Website

https://mailchi.mp/icisf.org/email-sign-up

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The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. (ICISF) is a not for profit, 501(c)3 organization and our mission is to provide leadership, education, training, consultation, and support services in comprehensive crisis intervention and disaster behavioral health services to the emergency response professions, other organizations, and communities worldwide.

Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) is a method of helping first responders and others who have been involved in critical incidents that leave them emotionally and/or physically affected by those incidents. CISM is a process that enables peers to help their peers understand problems that might occur after an event. This process also helps people prepare to continue to perform their services or in some cases return to a normal lifestyle.

ICISF provides training for individuals interested in becoming a part of a crisis management team, or for an organization that is dedicated to helping individuals or groups recover from incidents. To learn more, visit our website at www.icisf.org.