Critical Incident Debriefs

When the worst happens, offering emotional support can be an effective way to help your workforce come to terms with what’s happened and prevent prolonged distress. With a post-incident debrief, you can help your people process a traumatic incident and offer the best chance of a healthy recovery.

Debriefs are available for groups of individuals impacted by the same incident. A debrief typically includes group sessions and one-to one support, but we’ll work with you to make sure the most suitable support is put in place.

Debriefs can be booked from the next working day onwards. Virtual sessions are an effective, convenient way to offer support as soon as possible. When needed, we can also arrange onsite sessions across the UK and Ireland.

After a robbery at a Dublin branch, a retailer’s HR manager contacted Specialist Support. The coordinator discussed the incident, where one colleague was held at knifepoint and others witnessed the event, and advised that a CISM debrief would help staff process the emotional impact and understand typical trauma responses.

To reduce vicarious trauma, witnesses were advised to attend a group session separately from the directly affected colleague, followed by optional 1:1 sessions for all. The HR manager agreed and began coordination, while colleagues were reminded of 24/7 emotional support via the HA | Wisdom Wellbeing helpline. Specialist Support held provisional dates pending confirmation.

A half-day onsite CISM debrief was scheduled for seven days later, and the responder contacted the store manager in advance to finalise arrangements. The support was well received, with appropriate signposting for anyone needing longerterm care. An anonymised report summarised reactions, support provided, and recommendations for ongoing check-ins.