Course Overview
Course Length: 1 Hour
$25
Critical incidents, such as officer-involved shootings, in-custody deaths, tragic accidents resulting in the death of a community member or fellow responder, etc. require response, support, and care for all involved, and are one of the quintessential skills of peer support members. Proper response and aftercare can help mitigate stress, stress injury, and moral injury for those involved while simultaneously protecting any necessary investigation. This course teaches tips and strategies for proper peer support response, assisting the involved responders and their families, and also brings awareness to ethical and legal concerns related to these responses.
Course Objectives
-
Identify different types of critical incidents and how a response to those may vary.
-
Discover strategies to care for responders who were immediately involved, as well as sight and sound witnesses.
-
Develop skills in communicating with family members about the incident and providing support in the days afterward.
-
Learn about common reactions experienced by responders post-critical incident and how to normalize these responses.
-
Identify ethical and legal considerations all peer support members should know when responding to these incidents.
Meet Your Instructor:
Emily Hitchings
Now the Director of Agency Partnerships and Programming at NERPSC, Emily was a police officer for nearly 17 years. As the employee support officer, she led their peer support team and managed wellness programs for her department. Emily is recognized state-wide for her work and has been pivotal in helping build wellness programs for departments of all sizes across the country. Emily is a certified financial master coach and a responder curriculum instructor for the Center for Relationship Education (CRE). This curriculum teaches responders effective communication skills that can benefit their personal and professional relationships. She is also currently working on a MA in counseling, to assist emergency responders through therapy, crisis response, and trauma treatment.
