Employee Assistance Program

Critical Incident Stress Managment

Mercy EAP provides trained counselors who assist employees in coping with the painful mental and emotional impact of workplace trauma. This supportive intervention technique enables workers to return to, or maintain, regular work schedules. Depending upon workplace preference, the service is provided to individual workers or groups of employees.

Critical incidents are a one-time trauma, such as a serious work-related injury or death of one or more workers, especially if it happens at the worksite. They can also include on-site robberies or any serious violent workplace incidents. Sometimes critical incidents are accumulative and occur on a regular basis to some workers like police officers, fire fighters or other crisis intervention staff. Symptoms build up over time.

CISM facilitates safe discussion of employee reactions to trauma and encourages (but does not require) workers to participate.