Everyone experiences stress in his or her life. Stress is simply our physical and emotional reaction to change. Most of the time stress can be managed quite well when we take care of ourselves physically and emotionally by

• Practicing good nutrition and sleep habits
• Exercising regularly
• Taking time to relax and have fun
• Receiving and providing social support
• Acting on our spiritual beliefs
• Maintaining high self-esteem

Sometimes, however, our coping skills are stretched past their limits by a "critical incident." Individuals in this situation may benefit from the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Program—a service available to all leaders for use in their workgroups.

Fairview's CISM Program

Fairview EAP's Critical Incident Stress Management Program (CISM) is a comprehensive program designed to help employees offset negative stress reactions, especially those caused by a critical incident. The CISM Program provides services after a work-related critical incident and also offers education and information about stress management and the effects of critical incidents to all employees.

The service provided after a critical incident is called a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). Debriefings allow employees to work through their normal reactions to an abnormal event and develop a plan for managing them. During a debriefing, the employee(s) and one or more trained CISD team members meet and discuss the impact of the experience using a structured process. The purpose is to help employees quickly begin recovering from the effects of the incident. A CISD can and should be requested any time staff have gone through a traumatic event.

The Critical Incident Stress Management Program is a benefit offered to all Fairview EAP contracts.

Recognizing a Critical Incident

A critical incident is a traumatic event that rarely happens. An event like this can overwhelm anyone because of the intensity of our reactions and because we are taken by surprise. Examples of critical incidents at work include:

• Employee accidents or death
• Death of a child
• Any act of violence

No one can predict if they will ever experience a critical incident or how they might respond in such a situation. It is important to know that it is normal to have strong reactions, which may include:

• Problems sleeping and/or distressing dreams
• Exhaustion 
• Confusion or difficulty concentrating
• Upset stomach or other physical symptoms 
• Feeling numb or alone
• Anger or irritation
• Job- or safety-related fears

Accessing CISM Services

CISM services are accessed through Fairview's Employee Assistance Program by calling 800-Call EAP (225-5327) or 612-672-2195 or by emailing us at eap@fairview.org .

If you’re uncertain about whether CISM is appropriate in your situation, call and let a trained staff person help you decide the best course of action.  

Please be advised that EAP services are only available to our contract organizations.