Creating A CISM Team
Watch the discussion from Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at 12:00 PM EST as we spoke with guest speaker Braxton Morrison about “Creating A CISM Team”. If you currently have a CISM/Peer Support Team or are looking to start one in your area, this discussion is a great resource!
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Braxton Morrison Biography
My name is Braxton Morrison. I am a Co-Founder, the President, and Team Coordinator for the Benton County Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team. I became involved with the creation of the CISM team after attending the basic training required to conduct interventions. My partner and I then recognized the need for CISM in Benton County and began holding interventions for first responders in 2017.
In 2020, we decided to formalize the team to better serve our fellow responders. Through this process, we developed protocols, policies & procedures, and most importantly, a team of trained Critical Incident Responders to be a part of the team. We have now obtained our 501(c)3 status, have elected officer positions, and By-Laws to govern the organization.
I have attended Group Crisis Intervention, Assisting Individuals in Crisis, Advanced Group Crisis Intervention, Advanced Assisting Individuals in Crisis, Workplace Violence, Law Enforcement Perspectives, Psychology of Terrorism and Psychological Counter Terrorism, Resilience Training, Techniques for Delivering Bad News, and Suicide Awareness training through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF).
In addition, I hold a certification in CISM (CCISM) from UMBC, Certificates of Specialized Training (CoST) in Emergency Services and Mass Disasters & Terrorism from the ICISF, Mental Health First Aid Instructor certification, and am certified as a Trauma Services Specialist (CTSS) through the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists (ATSS).
I also hold certifications as a Nationally Registered Paramedic (NRP) and Certified Law Enforcement Officer in the state of Iowa. I enjoy spending time with my family, my dogs, kayaking, hiking, running, and weight training. I am honored to be a part of the creation of this team and to serve the responders of Benton County and assist them in continuing to do what they love.
Additional Resources
Our Core Courses, Assisting Individuals in Crisis & Group Crisis Intervention, are a great way to learn more and get started in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). We offer these courses through a variety of Remote Learning Programs. To learn more, visit https://icisf.org/sections/education-training/.
If you’ve enjoyed our discussion today and would like to learn more about how to form a CISM/Peer Support Team in your area, you can visit https://icisf.org/sections/cism-teams/.
If you’d like to view samples of the Benton County CISM Team Procedures & Guidelines, consider joining as an ICISF member! We have updated policies, procedures and guidelines from many different CISM/Peer Support Teams worldwide. To learn more, visit our website to join ICISF Membership Today (https://icisf.org/sections/membership/)! We also offer a variety of resources for CISM Teams through our Resources page of our website as well as the ICISF App.
Through the ICISF App (https://app.icisf.org/), you can purchase digital ICISF Quick Reference Cards, a CISM: Step By Step Guide, and digital wellness resources through the ICISF App. You can save all of these resources right to your personal devices to have on hand when you’re out in the field.
Through our Resources section of the website (https://icisf.org/resources/), you can download CISM Handouts, watch podcasts, view and download pandemic resources, and even watch our other CISM Live Series discussions. These resources are all available for free.
For “CISM Live” Series media inquiries, email [email protected].