• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Editor’s Picks
    • The power of teamwork
      Stay awake and alert on the job
      The worst rank in law enforcement
      Firearms maintenance
      Why fries need salt
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • Boone County Sheriff’s Office solves cold case from nearly 50 years...
        Time to address the status of women in policing today
        Police K-9 comforts Michigan State University students returning to...
        Volkswagen acknowledges policy breach after failing to provide...
        Michigan lieutenant completes DoorDash delivery for pregnant driver...
    • Labor
      • LAPD union proposes police stop responding to non-emergency calls
        Florida’s recruitment program lures Chicago police officers to the...
        Staffing shortages plague Cleveland police as record number leave the...
        New Orleans interim police chief aims to hire civilians in time for...
        “Anyone can get this job”: Memphis police lowered hiring...
    • Tech
      • One of country’s oldest cold cases solved with DNA from untested...
        Crypto crime investigations
        Austin Police Department launches non-emergency artificial...
        iPhone crash detection feature helps deputies rescue driver from canal
        Nebraska State Patrol uses drone technology to improve traffic flow...
    • Training
      • Working effectively in low light
        Realism and stress inoculation in training
        Avoiding conflict and escalation
        U.S. trails in police training
        Denver police recruit has leg amputated after training drill
    • Policy
      • Oregon law enforcement and retailers seek to combat organized...
        Utah bill aims to regulate how law enforcement uses genetic genealogy...
        Opposing POVs on permit-less carry
        Ohio bill would lower minimum age to become a police officer to 18 to...
        Utah bill would allow people with “invisible conditions” to alert...
    • Health/Wellness
      • Expanding your identity
        Nonprofit offers telehealth therapy to upstate New York first...
        A California police department’s new wellness unit aims to improve...
        Massachusetts police department prioritizes officers’ mental health...
        My poor coping strategies
    • Community
      • Colorado Springs police kick off annual soccer ball giveaway to bond...
        “These are beautiful animals”: Community members gift horses to...
        Central Texas nonprofit to open law enforcement museum in honor of...
        “It was an honor to serve with her”: Kansas first responders...
        Chicago police cook with children to build community relationships
    • Offbeat
      • Cincinnati police work with animal rescuers to capture exotic cat...
        Not UFOs: Police departments across the country receive 9-1-1 calls...
        Texas deputy detains runaway tortoise after “slowest foot...
        Suspect hiding in bathtub in Florida calls 9-1-1 to send deputies to...
        Person in ‘Scream’ costume frightens California community,...
    • We Remember
      • Boone County holds fifth annual Jacob Pickett Remembrance Day to...
        Farewell to a “living legend”: Oldest law enforcement officer in...
        “Officer Becerra will never be forgotten”: Colorado police...
        “I had a calling”: Colorado cadet inspired by fallen hero Eric...
        Chicago police remember fallen and injured officers this holiday...
  • On the Job
    • Boone County Sheriff’s Office solves cold case from nearly 50 years...
      Time to address the status of women in policing today
      Police K-9 comforts Michigan State University students returning to...
      Volkswagen acknowledges policy breach after failing to provide...
      Michigan lieutenant completes DoorDash delivery for pregnant driver...
  • Labor
    • LAPD union proposes police stop responding to non-emergency calls
      Florida’s recruitment program lures Chicago police officers to the...
      Staffing shortages plague Cleveland police as record number leave the...
      New Orleans interim police chief aims to hire civilians in time for...
      “Anyone can get this job”: Memphis police lowered hiring...
  • Tech
    • One of country’s oldest cold cases solved with DNA from untested...
      Crypto crime investigations
      Austin Police Department launches non-emergency artificial...
      iPhone crash detection feature helps deputies rescue driver from canal
      Nebraska State Patrol uses drone technology to improve traffic flow...
  • Training
    • Working effectively in low light
      Realism and stress inoculation in training
      Avoiding conflict and escalation
      U.S. trails in police training
      Denver police recruit has leg amputated after training drill
  • Policy
    • Oregon law enforcement and retailers seek to combat organized...
      Utah bill aims to regulate how law enforcement uses genetic genealogy...
      Opposing POVs on permit-less carry
      Ohio bill would lower minimum age to become a police officer to 18 to...
      Utah bill would allow people with “invisible conditions” to alert...
  • Health/Wellness
    • Expanding your identity
      Nonprofit offers telehealth therapy to upstate New York first...
      A California police department’s new wellness unit aims to improve...
      Massachusetts police department prioritizes officers’ mental health...
      My poor coping strategies
  • Community
    • Colorado Springs police kick off annual soccer ball giveaway to bond...
      “These are beautiful animals”: Community members gift horses to...
      Central Texas nonprofit to open law enforcement museum in honor of...
      “It was an honor to serve with her”: Kansas first responders...
      Chicago police cook with children to build community relationships
  • Offbeat
    • Cincinnati police work with animal rescuers to capture exotic cat...
      Not UFOs: Police departments across the country receive 9-1-1 calls...
      Texas deputy detains runaway tortoise after “slowest foot...
      Suspect hiding in bathtub in Florida calls 9-1-1 to send deputies to...
      Person in ‘Scream’ costume frightens California community,...
  • We Remember
    • Boone County holds fifth annual Jacob Pickett Remembrance Day to...
      Farewell to a “living legend”: Oldest law enforcement officer in...
      “Officer Becerra will never be forgotten”: Colorado police...
      “I had a calling”: Colorado cadet inspired by fallen hero Eric...
      Chicago police remember fallen and injured officers this holiday...
  • Between the Lines
    • The imprisonment of law enforcement technology
      Persecution of the LEO is classic schadenfreude
      The rule of law is worthless without order
      School policing: a paradox of the defund movement
      Defending the honor of the LE profession – finally!
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

Health/Wellness

Beyond critical incident stress management

Why the trauma intervention model you use is important

Dr. Mariya Dvoskina Published August 31, 2021 @ 8:00 am PDT

iStock.com/izusek

Police officers are highly resilient individuals. However, as first responders to the distress and suffering of others, these individuals are also at a particularly high risk of exposure to both vicarious and, in some cases, impact (or direct) trauma. Given this, many departments and leadership teams look to police psychologists and trauma specialists in developing interventions that facilitate post-traumatic growth (or, in non-psychobabble terms, find ways to help officers recover from traumatic stress). 

It is important to note that a critical incident in and of itself does not mean that an officer will experience traumatic impact. The most common thing I hear when I meet with an officer after a shooting (OIS) is “It’s bothering me that I am doing OK.” What I tell these officers is that it is absolutely normal and expected that they would be doing OK. While officers may experience a brief period of what we refer to as “deviation from baseline” (trouble sleeping, thinking about the call and other short-term shifts) we generally see that they return to normal functioning without developing any concerning symptoms. 

However, there is a special category of critical incidents that require additional attention. Dr. Nicoletti and I describe these as “extreme events.” Extreme events are critical incidents that are impactful and traumatic, but are low-frequency occurrences. As a result, they become more difficult for the responders to process and mitigate. A line-of-duty death or a mass casualty event are some examples of an extreme event. These types of events are more likely to lead to traumatic impact. Historically, departments have turned to the critical incident stress management (CISM) model to help their officers.

CISM has been a commonly implemented tool and has undoubtedly helped many first responders cope with trauma. However, research currently suggests that this model has yielded mixed results, including harmful outcomes for some participants. Many CISM supporters continue to strongly adhere to their view that this is a good model, with the authors themselves attempting to empirically demonstrate the effectiveness of this practice. However, a new model called psychological first aid (PFA) has more recently become the gold standard in trauma intervention.

One of the main ways in which PFA differs from CISM is in its understanding that each individual is different in their response to trauma and may need varied, flexible interventions. In other words, one size does not fit all. This does not mean that departments should not look to CISM-trained clinicians as appropriate resources; rather, it means asking whether the clinician has had continuing education and training in a variety of trauma intervention models. I also recommend utilizing the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Post-OIS Guidelines for a thorough review and guide to post-critical-incident trauma response. Most importantly, departments should have standardized policies in place to address both pre-incident psychological training and preparation and post-incident standardized response protocols, working with police-culture-competent and experienced clinicians. The more normalized these protocols are within the department and the more trustworthy the clinician, the more likely it is that officers will utilize their resources.

Dr. Mariya Dvoskina

Dr. Mariya Dvoskina

Dr. Mariya Dvoskina is a police and public safety psychologist working with Nicoletti-Flater Associates in Colorado. She provides consultation, training, counseling, peer support supervision and critical incident response services to local and federal agencies. 

View articles by Dr. Mariya Dvoskina

As seen in the August 2021 issue of American Police Beat magazine.
Don’t miss out on another issue today! Click below:

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Categories: Health/Wellness

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Working effectively in low light
  • Colorado Springs police kick off annual soccer ball giveaway to bond with kids
  • Cincinnati police work with animal rescuers to capture exotic cat stuck in tree with cocaine found in its system
  • Realism and stress inoculation in training
  • Boone County Sheriff’s Office solves cold case from nearly 50 years ago using genealogy research
  • Oregon law enforcement and retailers seek to combat organized shoplifting with legislation and anti-theft operations
  • Expanding your identity
  • “These are beautiful animals”: Community members gift horses to Dallas police in memory of loved ones
  • One of country’s oldest cold cases solved with DNA from untested sexual assault kit
  • Avoiding conflict and escalation

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The power of teamwork

The power of teamwork

July 23, 2021

Stay awake and alert on the job

Stay awake and alert on the job

July 20, 2021

The worst rank in law enforcement

The worst rank in law enforcement

July 19, 2021

Firearms maintenance

Firearms maintenance

July 04, 2021

Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2023 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.