Responding to a Critical Incident

24-hour on-call assistance

Administrator on Call (via Boston College Police): 617-552-4440

Boston College Police Department: 617-552-4440

Psychologist on Call (via University Health Services): 617-552-3226

Sexual Assault Network: 617-552-BC11 (2211)
A group of trained students and staff who are available to assist all members of the Boston College community with issues of sexual assault, rape, or abuse

United Way's First Call for Help: 1-800-231-4377
Off-campus assistance and referral hotline

 

post-event intervention

After a crisis or critical incident occurs on campus, there may be a need to provide a post-event intervention for the person or persons involved in the incident. The Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) offers intervention at a number of levels (e.g., education, demobilization, defusing, group debriefing, individual debriefing). In some situations, there will be other university interventions that would be more effective and appropriate than what could be offered by a CIRT.

In most serious campus incidents, the Administrator on Call (AOC) will be involved. The AOC or anyone else familiar with the CISM model may initiate a request for an intervention. The following is the sequence of steps in responding to a request.

  1. Member of the Coordinating Committee is contacted with request for intervention.
  2. Coordinating Committee member gathers information from the initiator using a CIRT Request Form.
  3. Coordinating Committee contact confers with another member of the group. The outcome of that consultation is:
    1. a decision to convene a CIRT ("go" or "no go" for a team),
    2. the level or type of intervention deemed appropriate at that time, or
    3. a recommendation for another form of intervention (e.g., pastoral intervention or psychological consultation).
  4. The Coordinating Committee contact ("the convener") asks the clinical coordinator (a Counseling Services staff member) to form a team.
  5. The convener is responsible for arranging the details of the intervention (i.e., time, place, informational materials, refreshments).
  6. CIRT meets in advance of the intervention to clarify roles, review procedures, and receive a briefing from appropriate parties.
  7. Intervention occurs.
  8. CIRT meets after the intervention for review and to arrange follow-up details as appropriate.
  9. Counseling Services team member is responsible for completing and submitting a CIRT Report to the Counseling Services Director.

 

if you experience a critical incident

You may experience unusually strong emotional reactions that have the potential to interfere with your ability to function. Sometimes the emotional aftershocks appear immediately, in other cases they are delayed a few hours or days, and sometimes they are postponed for weeks or months.


Things To Try

  • Within the first 24-48 hours, periods of strenuous physical exercise alternated with relaxation will alleviate some of the physical reactions.
  • Structure your time and keep busy.
  • You are normal and having normal reactions—don't label yourself crazy.
  • Talk to people. Talk is the most healing medicine.
  • Be aware of numbing the pain with overuse of drugs or alcohol. You don't need to complicate this with a substance abuse problem.
  • Reach out—people do care.
  • Maintain as normal a schedule as possible.
  • Help your co-workers as much as possible by sharing feelings and checking on how they're doing.
  • Give yourself permission to feel bad, and share your feelings with others.
  • Keep a journal and write your way through any sleepless hours.
  • Realize that those around you are under stress.
  • Don't make any big life changes.
  • Make as many daily decisions as possible that will give you a feeling of control over your life (i.e., if someone asks you what you want to eat, answer them even if you're not sure).
  • Get plenty of rest.
  • Reoccurring thoughts, dreams, or flashbacks are normal. Don't try to fight them, and they'll decrease over time and become less painful.
  • Eat well-balanced and regular meals even if you don't feel like it.


For Family Members and Friends

  • Listen carefully.
  • Spend time with the traumatized person.
  • Offer your assistance and a listening ear even if they have not asked for help.
  • Reassure them that they are safe.
  • Help them with everyday tasks like cleaning, cooking, caring for the family, minding children, etc.
  • Give them some private time.
  • Don't take their anger or other feelings personally.
  • Don't tell them they are "lucky it wasn't worse." Traumatized people are not consoled by those statements. Instead, tell them that you are sorry such an event has occurred and that you want to understand and assist them.