Toolkit with Report Form - Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic ...

Section five
Take Care of Staff
Feelings of fear and loss of control are
normal reactions during and after a time of
crisis. Confusion, anger, and sorrow are also
common reactions to any traumatic event.
Program staff may:
◗ Feel a sense of responsibility for not
maintaining safety and control during
critical incidents such as intruder and
hostage situations or evacuations.
◗ Doubt their abilities and decisions to
serve clients and residents or care for
other staff and volunteers.
Staff meetings, daily or several times
throughout the week, in the immediate
aftermath of critical incidents, provide an
opportunity for the team to:
◗ Offer accurate information
◗ Dispel rumors
◗ Answer questions/concerns
◗ Present staff with strategies for talking
about the event with clients not on-site
during the critical incident.
◗ Supply a safe place for staff to deal
with their own concerns and emotions
A team member should monitor staff
responses and actions during these meetings
to determine if any staff members are in
need of additional support or if their work
with clients should be suspended for a short
period of time while they deal with their own
responses to the critical incident.
In the days and weeks that follow any critical
incident, it is important to monitor staff for any
ongoing crisis reactions that may lead to longterm
crisis reactions and/or vicarious trauma.
Don’t hesitate to call on a local mental health
practitioner with training and experience
working with clients who have survived
traumatic events. Additionally, KCIT, PCADV
or your local crisis response team may be
able to make referrals for long-term support.
How Crisis Intervention Helps
Programs can do a great deal for staff,
volunteers and BOD by offering crisis
intervention services. In the short-term,
crisis intervention provides an opportunity
for staff, volunteers and BOD to begin to
process the thoughts, memories and physical
and emotional reactions in an organized,
cognitive way. Program staff may also
benefit from “respite care,” specifically
having temporary relief from direct service
responsibility; but how does a program make
that happen?
Some situations and possible solutions to
brainstorm in advance of a critical incident
include:
◗ Will additional staff be required to
assist clients/other staff or to be available
for unexpected issues? Should this be
your staff or staff from other programs?
◗ What happens if a staff member
thinks they can work, but becomes
overwhelmed during their shift?
◗ Should you meet in small groups with
residents/clients to become aware of their
concerns? How often will you do this?
◗ What if your community/BOD is
pushing you to resume services, but you
feel your staff is unable to do so?
Intervention immediately following a
crisis can reduce the risk of vicarious
trauma for staff over the long-term.
page 24
When Crisis Strikes | Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence | 2012