Counselor, EAP – A specially trained individual, usually licensed in the field of
mental health and addictions, who operates in an occupational setting and whose
clients may be both management and employees in general.
Covered Lives – The total universe of persons who are eligible for EAP services
as defined by the sponsoring (host) agency. A Federal agency might define
covered lives as employees and their family members, while another agency may
offer services only to employees.
Crisis Intervention – A brief type of therapy or counseling, offered to persons
involved in a highly emotional or traumatic event, to prevent long-term
psychological harm, with the intention of restoring the clients to at least their pre-
crisis level of functioning, and referring to long-term treatment resources as may
be warranted.
Critical Incident – An event, usually sudden, unexpected and potentially life-
threatening, “in which a person experiences a trauma, i.e., feels overwhelmed by
a sense of personal vulnerability and/or lack of control. Examples of a critical
incident are a natural disaster, serious workplace accident, a hostage situation or
violence in the workplace.”
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Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) – A structured group or individual
intervention that encourages the expression of thoughts and feelings about the
incident, followed by identification and normalization of symptoms, familiarization
with the process of recovery, and referral to appropriate services. The EAP (in
cooperation with the host organization), usually schedules a CISD at the worksite
with a group of employees directly affected by a critical incident as soon as
possible following the traumatic event.
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15
Critical Incident Stress Management – The constellation of services or
activities that may be used by an organization to respond to and manage a
critical incident (core concept was developed by the International Critical Incident
Stress Foundation). Services and activities include, but are not limited to,
debriefings, outreach to the workforce, psycho-educational activities related to
trauma, anniversary responses, etc.
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13
EAPA Glossary, 1994, page 7, and committee language
14
Ibid., with “in cooperation with the host organization” added.
15
A CISD is a concept coined by Jeffrey T. Mitchell, Ph.D.,
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and has become an integral
part of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF). It was originally
meant to be applied among public safety, disaster response, and military and emergency
service personnel by a skilled intervention team. The ICISF contends that a CISD can
also be used with virtually any population, including children, when employed by a
skilled intervener. Some researchers contend that “scientific studies have resulted in
numerous calls for caution and restraint in the use of CISD.”
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16
FOH Definitions
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