How to Establish an On-Site Crisis Management Team
by Mark D. Lerner, Ph.D.
Chairman, The National Center for Emotional Wellness
In the event of a crisis involving a sudden death, a serious illness, an accident, a threat of violence, a criminal act, a public health crisis, a natural disaster, or other tragedy, what will you do to keep people functioning?
It’s not a matter of IF, but WHEN.
During a crisis, people turn to trusted friends and colleagues for support. It’s easier to talk to those we know, members of the organizational family, than strangers with name tags. Notwithstanding these caregivers’ efforts, the magnitude of overwhelming events often taxes individuals and their families and compromises an organization’s ability to function.
An on-site Crisis Management Team (CMT) can:
• ease emotional pain,
• keep people functioning,
• mitigate ongoing suffering, and
• restore “human stability.”
Program Overview
When an overwhelming event impacts your organization, a CMT will be prepared and responsive to the emergent needs of employees. The following describes how this will be executed:
1. Be Prepared
After utilizing an effective strategy for identifying your organization's “go-to” people, the trainer will conduct a dynamic interactive workshop with this identified group. He/she will train them to respond effectively with practical information, guidance, and support. By developing and enhancing peer caregivers’ repertoire of helping skills, your business can draw upon its resources to be prepared.
2. Be Responsive
CMT members will learn specific strategies that will empower them to help others during times of crisis. These include:
1. Acute Traumatic Stress Management (ATSM)—to address emergent needs.
2. Large group information, education, and support for employees.
3. Small group crisis support.
4. Referral to mental health providers.
5. Post-critical incident seminar—This is for ongoing discussion and support months after the incident.
Why Organizations & Corporations Need This Program
Research has demonstrated that the best help early on is rendered by trained and empowered peers, not strangers. Following this program, your organization will have a CMT in place—a small investment from your training budget that will ultimately protect your organization’s greatest asset—its people.
This program will save your business thousands of dollars in lost productivity per employee. It will also help to lessen the psychological damage and feelings of loneliness employees experience in the aftermath of a crisis. By reaching members of your organizational family early, we can ease emotional pain, keep people functioning, lessen the likelihood of ongoing suffering, and restore organizational stability.
The Benefits of Establishing an Organizational Crisis Management Team:
• Ease Emotional Pain
• Keep People Functioning
• Mitigate Ongoing Suffering
• Improve Communication
• Increase Morale and Group Cohesiveness
• Make Better Decisions
• Have Fewer Medical Claims
• Reduce Mental Health and Substance Abuse Costs
• Decrease in Workers’ Compensation, Disability Claims and Litigation
• Reduce Absenteeism
• Retain Effective Employees
• Lower Recruitment and Retraining Costs
• Strengthen Relationships Among Employees & Management
• Maintain Corporate Productivity
• Grow from Adversity
For information about organizational training, contact the National Center.