Educational Settings

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  • Overview

    Presentation Details:

    This presentation will be prerecorded followed by a live breakout session with interactive activities and facilitated conversation. The content will include educational information on the particular types of stress that comes with disasters and impacts an activated Emergency Operations Center environment. Whether that EOC is a government agency, a private business or a school system, the work is impacted by the intensity of the task at hand. Emergency Managers of all kinds often see themselves as immune since they are not in the field dealing hands-on with victims or survivors.
    The reality is they are at times more prone to disaster stress than their counterpart first responders. The appropriate use of CISM activities are designed to keep people productive, not take them off line. Just like trickle charging a battery, effective in the moment disaster stress management can help ensure good judgement and appropriate decisions are being made. This workshop will use case studies and facilitated conversation to explore this topic.

    Learning Objectives:

    Upon completion, participants will be able to
    • Participants will examine the unique stressors in an EOC environment
    • Participants will be able to differential between Disaster Stress Management on Disaster Mental Health
    • Participants will increase their knowledge of deploying to an activated Emergency Operations Center

    Presenter

    • Mary C. Schoenfeldt

      Emergency Management Professional

      Green Cross Academy of Traumatology

      Dr. Mary Schoenfeldt is an Emergency Manager with a specialty in school and community crisis. She has a passion for Disaster Psychology delivers Disaster Stress Management for a non profit ..Green Cross Academy of Traumatology. She responded to Columbine HS shooting, Hurricane Katina, Haitian Earthquake, Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting, Hurricane Harvey and was in the Emergency Operations Center for 6 weeks following the 530 Mudslide. She currently is providing support manage COVID 19. When she isn’t traveling she is behind the podium as Past President of Everett Port Gardner Rotary.

    Handouts

  • Overview

    Presentation Details:

    The Crisis Management Briefing is one of the most versatile interventions we have in our toolkit. Over the years, I have developed and refined a structure for providing this intervention so our team is providing it in a similar fashion. This seminar describes the structure and offers a video sample of the model. It might be helpful to organizing your own approach for this often under utilized tool

    Learning Objectives:

    Upon completion, participants will be able to:
    • Identify 3 reasons to utilize a structured CMB
    • Identify the 3 steps in completing a CMB
    • Identify 5 keyk teaching points in a CMB

    Presenter

    • Dennis Potter, LMSW, FAAETS

      CEO

      Kantu Consultants

      Dennis Potter is a licensed social worker who helped to form one of the first community based Crisis Response Teams in Michigan in 1986 and the Michigan Crisis Response Association. Dennis is the CEO of Kantu Consultants. He is an Approved Instructor for all of the ICISF Core Courses, and is a member of the ICISF Faculty since 2006.
      Dennis has been a presenter at the last 14 International Critical Incident Stress Foundation World Congresses. Dennis was awarded the ICISF Excellence in Training and Education Award at the 2011 World Congress. Dennis was given the Grand Rapids Police Department Exceptional Civilian Service Award for his 22 years of working with their Peer-to-Peer program.

    Handouts

  • Overview

    I’m a volunteer firefighter. It’s been twenty fives years but I can still see the young mans face as he lay there void of life at a motorcycle crash during my first year of service. I think that’s why it took me 25 years to figure things out. I compartmentalized everything to survive. It took years to let those barriers relax enough for my experiences to blend and realize I can help other first responders.

    In the volunteer model there’s no-one there to follow up to see how providers are managing the stressors after a call. The responder goes back to empty firehouse and then home. There was nothing in place to mitigate or manage a “bad” call. The connection of seeing my dog at the door when I came home from a bad call was powerful. I didn’t understand the science, I just knew how it made me feel. Call after all and year after year I continued to receive healing comfort from the many dogs that lived with me and the ones that crossed my path.

    The purpose of this presentation is to reach as many first responders and provide them with tools to mitigate or interrupt the process of PTS/PTSI.

    There are four levels of intervention in this model. In level one and two the dog belongs to the handler responder and trained and certified at the therapy dog level and exposed to the components present in debriefing and various settings. Level 3 uses puppies. Most are obtained from breeders.
    There are several different organizations that provide services dogs and they all have their own different ways of doing so. Some use rescue dogs, others use breeders. Each has pros and cons. The ideal breed for service is the breed with which the handler is most comfortable. Any breed is suitable for service, but the requirements for temperament are not. Temperament is critical and cannot be compromised. Again, keeping the mantra of “safety” in mind is key. If the responder/handler is afforded a safe environment (which becomes mobile with a service dog), this process becomes life changing and all possibilities are on the table.

    Level 1. K9 CISM
    To provide peer debriefings for fire fighters, EMS personnel and police; essentially providing Critical Incident Stress Management support for first responders who have experienced trauma — in the line of duty, during active duty or after leaving service – in order to attempt to prevent the onset of PTSI using the Mitchell model of peer support.
    To support various first responder agencies to create preventative support strategies to head off PTSI before it takes hold, by creating safe places to process trauma

    Level 2. Therapy/”Mobile Service” (1:1 – K9 Team: Responder)
    Handler uses their personal therapy dogs for those who require K9 intervention, but for some reason are not able/do not want their own dog

    Level 3. PTS Service Dogs
    To network with breeders and trainers in order to provide affordable service dogs to first responders, veterans and others who suffer with PTSI who are in need of PTSI Service Dogs. The canines are puppies obtained from established selected breeders and provided to handler at minimal cost.
    The puppy is in handlers possession at 8 weeks, then to trainer for 1-2 week B/T for polishing and detailing

    4. Education
    To speak to as many groups as possible to educate in PTSI prevention in high risk environments in order to be able to access what ever services are needed when the time comes.

    Learning Objectives:

    Upon completion, participants will be able to
    • Know the two hormones stress reduction and production.
    • Know the five levels of K9 Intervention.
    • Know the difference between “PTSD” and “PTSI”.

    Presenter

    • Michelene L. McCloskey, EMT, FF, EMSI, K9 Handler

      EMT, FF, EMSI, K9 Handler

      K9 PTS Intervention

      With over 20 years of service as a Fire Fighter/Emergency Medical Technician, 20 as a CISM provider and 14 as an Emergency Medical Services Instructor, Michelene became the Coordinator of the Animal Response Team in her home town of Chester County, PA after hurricane Katrina. In 2015 she became the event manager for a local Search dog team and has since founded K9 PTS Intervention, an organization providing interventions in many different models to responders traumatized in the line of duty or during active duty.

    Handouts