Pittsburgh CISM WHO ARE WE:

Our team is a volunteer peer-based team with behavioral and mental health professional who respond to calls for crisis interventions.

We respond to public safety callers, organizations or departments who believe they have been exposed to a traumatic event and crews or personnel may be affected by such a horrific event.

The CISM is ICISF trained in the Mitchel Model of Crisis Intervention and is a active and current member of ICISF as well as register as a hotline organization able to provide CISM services. Our team is a member of the state PEHSC and AEMSC organization. These organizations will be further described and identified in the next sections.

Our goal is to reduce stress and offer resources in education and services available in crisis management. The team utilizes peers to offer emotional support and understanding of what the responders are experiencing and to reassure that many sign and symptoms post traumatic incident are a normal human reaction after exposure to an event.

One who is experiencing issue not normal to them are educated on the sign and symptoms of stress while resource information and after-action behavior’s that can be used or avoided to reduce the stress. Stress Reduction and elimination is our aim.

If you are in crisis, go the nearest hospital or call 911 

International Crisis Intervention Stress Foundation 

[ICISF] 

This International Organization is focused at training and credentialing CISM members for response. We host an International Crisis conference every other year in Pittsburgh to promote crisis intervention while training fellow behavioral health and mental health practitioners on crisis intervention and care. A special section ICISF is further in the site identifying its role.

 

Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council 

[PEHSC] 

We are a member of the PEHSC board and work with PEHSC to improve CISM within the state. We attend board meeting and participate as an active member. We are a accredited CISM team within Pennsylvania and a member of the State CISM committee. We offer mutual aid to other areas and support CISM growth within our state. Our goal is to expand CISM availability throughout the state within every county or at least with every region.

Our current leadership has appeared at state hearings promoting the legislation for funding and growth of Peer CISM expansion within the entire state. Dr. Roth and Dr. Cox have both presented testimony helping pass the legislation and now focusing of it enhancing its implementation by supporting educations and the formation of other teams in our over 56 counties and 6 regions in Pennsylvania.

PEHSC is a state resource and representative for all EMS agencies and offers educational and support services. Its home is Harrisburg, Pa., and director Jeannette Swade. The State CISM committee is chaired by Dr. Sheila Roth and Dr. Roy Cox. The Committee meets annually promoting communications between teams and fostering growth and organization within the CISM community.

 

Allegheny County Emergency Medical Services Council 

[ACEMSC] 

We are a member of the ACEMSC and work with our EMS services to offer services and support as needed. We hold a board position and attend functions with the ACEMS as an active partner. ACEMS is comprised of EMS from Allegheny County and is aimed at sharing communications, promoting unity and education of EMS. Promoting awareness of grants and funding available to services is also a benefit of being an active member in the county organization. It is also a volunteer organization, and its board and members are participants local services in EMS.