CISM News
Many people say their mental health dips during the holidays. By being mindful of your emotions, connecting with people, setting boundaries and practicing a healthy lifestyle, you can improve your mood this season. Self-care starts with conscious decision-making, especially during busy holidays. By owning your own experiences, you have the opportunity to engage more meaningfully with those around you, and to let go of traditions that may be too stressful. Create a dialogue with family and friends to communicate what you are thinking and feeling ahead of time, and explore together what can be done differently. This will help you to experience the most peace from the joyful season.
Three Ways to Approach the Holidays with Meaning and Mindfulness
What Does It Mean to Be a Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Practitioner?
Mayo Clinic Q and A: Holiday stress and mindfulness
Staying mindful of mental health during the holidays
Holidays passing you by? Follow these tips to help you slow down this holiday season
10 self-care activities that help reduce stress—and cost little to no money
How Self-Care Will Make Your Holidays Feel Better
If You Are Grieving This Holiday Season, These Self-Care Tips Can Help
This is the time of year many focus on gratitude and appreciation for the people around us. Family and friends are gathered near and we give thanks for those we love. This month Veterans Day gives us all a chance to recognize military personnel who keep us safe and protected year round. Let’s remember that many of our first responders are veterans as well, and their continued bravery provides security, protection, and peace of mind every day. So let us be thankful for those we may not know personally, but will come to our aid without a second thought, and appreciate the selfless work they do in our communities.
Shields & Stripes helps improve mental health for Veterans, first responders
Young Airman helps to destigmatize mental health
One Marine’s Mental Health Mission
Lowcountry native creates nonprofit for female veterans with mental health struggles
National First Responders Day 2022: History, Significance and Celebrations
Helping the helpers – giving first responders tools they need to cope with tragedy
Painesville First Responder PTSD Memorial honors local heroes, starts dialogue on mental health
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2022
The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. gains Crisis Response Canines as a National Strategic Partner
Ellicott City, MD – The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. (ICISF) is excited to announce our strategic partnership with Crisis Response Canines, which provides strength, comfort, and emotional support to individuals, families, communities, and first responders experiencing intense traumatic emotions in the aftermath of critical incidents.
We are pleased to partner with ICISF in our shared goal of caring for our communities impacted by traumatic events.
“We are committed to expanding our national response to provide strength, comfort, and emotional support in the aftermath of critical incidents through our Animal Assisted Crisis Response/CISM model.”
– Andrea Hering, President Crisis Response Canines, John Hunt, Chief Operations Officer, Crisis Response Canines
Richard Barton, ICISF Chief Executive Officer and staff member Michelle Parks recently attended the Crisis Response Canine luncheon last week, where they met many of the staff and crisis canines.
“Our strategic partnership with the Crisis Response Canines is an outstanding addition, especially with their recent work throughout the country. They are passionate about sharing the mission of the ICISF, Inc. and the importance of CISM. We look forward to working with them in the future.“
– Rick Barton, The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc., Chief Executive Officer
Crisis Response Canines Deployments
To learn more about our strategic partners, visit our website. You can also stay up to date with all strategic partnership news on our Strategic Partner Content page.
If you or your organization is interested in a strategic partnership with the ICISF, email Kelly Hall, Business Development Manager, at [email protected] or call (443) 325-5218.
Crisis Response Canines
The mission of Crisis Response Canines is to provide strength, comfort, and emotional support to individuals, families, communities, and first responders experiencing intense traumatic emotions in the aftermath of critical incidents.
The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
The mission of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. 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.
As we recognize Mental Health Month, we see the impact all across the globe. So many are facing war-either fighting or fleeing, natural disasters and ongoing ramifications from the pandemic. Let’s focus on strengthening our own mental health, and support those around us.
Mental Health Crisis Among Azerbaijani Veterans
David McKay: Mental health care in a crazy world
Mental Health: Get Support. Take Control. Feel Better
First Responders and Mental Health: When Heroes Need Rescuing
Providing suicide prevention services to first responders
As suicides rise, US military seeks to address mental health
COVID-19 presents an opportunity to strengthen mental health in the Americas
September is National Suicide Prevention Month and it is vital that we create a dialogue in our communities to support each other. When we truly care, and acknowledge that it is okay not to be okay, then we create an environment of empathy and open the lines of communication.
Practicing self-care is a strategy we can all employ to reduce suicidal thoughts and actions. Engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, and improve energy. Regular self-care in which we do the things that make us feel taken care of mentally, physically, and emotionally doesn’t always happen, and we may need to stop and take the time to remind ourselves we are important, too.
- Suicide Prevention Awareness Month And Self-Care Highlights Basic Tips For Better Mental Health
- Self-care is not self-indulgent, and you can start now with these tips
- There Are Six Types Of Self-Care — Here’s How To Practice Each One
- The importance of self-care heading into fall and winter months
- National Suicide Prevention Month – September 2022
- When Uncertainty is Our New Normal: Managing Feelings of Helplessness Over the Course of Continuing Challenges
- Veteran Suicide and Project 2025: Reflecting and Finding Purpose
- First responder suicide rates increase; firefighter support team offers services to help
- Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Response Services: What They Are and How We Can Support Them
As the lazy days of summer come to a close, we look forward to a time of new beginnings as the schools reopen. This year we are hoping that the days of mask wearing in schools are over, and the children can once again play together freely. College campuses are opening with mandatory vaccinations but optional mask wearing. Children from Ukraine are finding new places and ways to learn. It is a new normal. Here is how the children, young adults, faculties and staffs are gearing up to support the mental health of all involved in education.
- Back To School: Israeli Tech Group Helps Kids Who Fled Ukraine
- Online education and the mental health of faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic
- More public schools are now offering mental health services
- ‘We are not in this alone’: stressed teachers find hope in peer-support model used by frontline health workers
- Why and how leaders should tackle teacher wellness
- Back to school: Mental health advice for families
- Balancing Back to School and Mental Health
There are new efforts to transform the mental health care system and make care easily accessible everywhere in the United States. This is an opportunity for us all to remember how important mental health is, and with renewed focus, countless lives will be improved and saved. Here are some ways we can support each other’s mental health.
Military program helps with mental health issues
Canadian soldier to bike 1,000 km from Edmonton to raise PTSD awareness
Sheriff’s Association launches peer-based program to address mental health needs
Surfing to save: Nonprofit uses surf therapy to reach veterans, first responders
Retired S.C. officer bikes for first responder mental health awareness
100 Club of Arizona unveils apps to help first responders with mental health issues
Improving wellness at work: the new front line of mental health care
10% Discount on Psychological Body Armor™
Your Bookstore for CISM Resources, offers a 10% discount on Dr. Everly’s Field Guide “Psychological Body Armor™“! The goal of this book is to reduce the risk of psychological injury, much the same as physical body armor reduces the risk of physical injury.
Additional Resources
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- The Link Between Subcultures and Traumatic Stress: Barriers To Support, Stabilization and Recovery
- Probable PTSD, Symptoms of Depression, and an Exploratory Factor Analysis of Item Responses in Canadian Steelworkers After Workplace Traumas
- Emergency Medical Dispatchers and PTSD
- PTSD and Suicide Within the Fire and Emergency Services
- So, You Want to Work with Fire Fighters: A Guide For Clinicians, Enhancing Competency when Working with Fire Service Members
PTSD911 Documentary Film: Shining a Light on PTSD & First Responders (Conrad Weaver)
Listen as we speak with guest speaker Conrad Weaver on “PTSD911 Documentary Film: Shining a Light on PTSD & First Responders”.
