How to Coach Yourself and Others Empowering Coaching And Crisis Interventions | Page 144

This book is in B&W, not color - Print page in Grayscale for Correct view! Use the following as a guide:  Refreshments situated opposite entrance to room (across room if possible).  Healthy snacks, sandwiches (simple fillings), fruit, juice, bottled water, decaffeinated coffee (do not indicate), milk/sugar.  No red food, no grilled food, no bone-in food (rare beef, Italian, barbeque, fried chicken, etc.).  Avoid strongly-spiced, messy or “ethnic” foods whenever possible. Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) : “How do I know when I’m in over my head?” Prepared by: Gregory Janelle, Janelle & Associates Consulting Ltd., 1997. Revised 2001 Peer support training does not fully equip the average layperson for the occasionally overwhelming circumstances that may be encountered after a critical incident. This is especially true during Defusing and One-On-One intervention, when the Peer is often the first to respond and assessment of a survivor’s emotional state is difficult at best. No matter how experienced and confident one may feel going into a situation, there may inevitably come a point when it would be harmful, even dangerous, to try to handle a survivor without professional mental health intervention. A responsible Peer will always enter a dialogue cautiously and follow established guidelines with due care. It is very important that the Peer remain constantly vigilant to “danger signals” that may alert them to the moment when they feel they are beyond their limits as a caregiver and no longer capable of providing proper support to the traumatized individual. To err on the side of caution is always the best route to take. As a helpful guide, consider the following BEFORE speaking to a person in crisis: (Excerpt with permission, from “Coping With Survival” by Margaret A. Kilpatrick, 1981) Alertness and Awareness You can probably handle, if the survivor:  is aware of who he/she is, and what happened  is only slightly confused or dazed, or shows slight difficulty in thinking clearly or concentrating on a subject Consider referral, if the survivor:  is unable to give own name or names of people he/she is living with  cannot give date; state where he/she is; tell what he/she does  cannot recall events of past 24 hours  complains of memory gaps Actions You can probably handle, if the survivor:  wrings his/her hands; appears still and rigid; clenches his/her fists  is restless, mildly agitated and excited  has sleep difficulty  has rapid or halting speech For [email protected] Property of Bookemon, do NOT distribute 144