Crisis Support Team of Northwest Tennessee facilitators Bob Miller and Doug Ellington discuss an upcoming seminar at the Professional Development Center titled, 'Assisting Individuals in Crisis.' The two-day seminar will take place from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 11 and 12. The registration deadline is Friday, Dec. 5. As a service to the community, the seminar is offered at a discounted rate. CST also offers free educational and support services for residents throughout the area in times of crisis. [Click to enlarge]

Each day, as residents throughout the community go about their usual tasks, local officials and emergency service personnel are busy preparing for the unexpected, unwelcome and unimaginable.

Area businesses, industry, school systems, banks and agencies are now required to prepare Emergency Response Plans to help residents during and after natural disasters and tragedies.

As those plans are formed and tested, members of the Crisis Support Team of Northwest Tennessee stress the importance of offering first aid for the psychological, emotional, spiritual and behavioral effects of a crisis.

Dr. Robert Miller helped found the Dyersburg Police Chaplaincy in 1991. Since that time, he and Chaplain Doug Ellington have been very involved in the program. Ellington currently serves as chief chaplain for the DPD.

"Through the years there have been specific events that have underlined the necessity for a broader team," said Miller. "A bigger team with more disciplines and a bigger team in pure numbers."

The 2003 hostage incident at Dyersburg State Community College and the deadly tornado in April 2006 were two local incidents that drew attention to the need for broader care. Statistics show that up to 80 percent of adults in the United States will be exposed to automobile accidents, heart attacks, emergency health issues, fires, industrial accidents, crimes, unexpected deaths, violent crimes, SIDS, suicides, natural disasters or domestic or school violence in their lifetime. Each of these situations leave a path of destruction in its wake.

The Crisis Support Team, founded in 2007, helps individuals work through the after-effects of traumatic situations.

"We are a service that everyone needs to know is available, but no one needs to know is taking place," said Miller, who now serves as CST team coordinator. "(Everything we do is) confidential. We don't even respond to an event unless we are invited."

What benefits do Crisis Support Team members bring to local residents?

The CST provides consultation, pre-incident education and training, on-scene support, one-on-one intervention, peer and family support, small-group interventions, large-group interventions and follow-up and referral services.

"No emergency plan is complete until it includes care for the caregivers," said Ellington.

Employees who witness a crisis or traumatic event, but are not injured, become caregivers to their co-workers until help arrives. Miller said many times, residents involved in traumatic experiences take on "fight or flight" mentality, shutting off emotional turmoil until the danger or crisis has passed.

When the crisis is over and the injured have left to receive life-saving physical first aid, caregivers are left to deal with the after-effects of the trauma. Since their needs are not physical, many times, they are left unattended.

"This is not counseling," said Miller. "This is not psychotherapy. This is psychological, emotional, spiritual and behavioral first aid. We provide education and support. (We provide) preparation and training not only to empower you to care for other people, but to care for yourself in your organization."

And how do

members of the

CST offer free

services to

employees

and residents

throughout

the region?

Miller said three things are needed to support the CST and its services.

"Number One: people need to be willing to train and respond," said Miller. "We have 14 or so right now on the team. The majority are from right here. Some are from Covington and Memphis."

The CST needs residents who are interested in stepping into someone's worst day and helping them deal with the after-effects of the trauma.

"About 90 percent of all critical incident stress management is a one-on-one conversation," said Miller. "We match people up with people who have been there and survived it. Like the AA principal. Peers believe that peers understand them."

An upcoming seminar, "Assisting Individuals in Crisis," will take place from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 11 and 12, at the Professional Development Center in Dyersburg. The registration deadline is Friday, Dec. 5.

Approved by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, the course is recommended for residents who wish to know more about crisis-intervention techniques. Mental heath professionals, professional emergency personnel, lay ministers, security, safety, military, industry, retail merchants, school system personnel, EAPs, human resources personnel, psychologists, social workers, counselors, pastors, chaplains and pastoral counselors will all benefit from this training.

Those interested in registering for the class or joining the CST may call (731) 589-1175 or visit www.bobmiller. dmin@gmail.com.

"Number Two: (Employers and community leaders) must be willing to trust us enough to invite us to serve them," said Miller. "We've had some opportunities to interact with (businesses and industries who have) invited us (to be a part of their emergency response plan)."

"In my mind, calling this team to (serve your employees) is a win-win deal," said Ellington. "If you are in charge of a business and something happens, to be able to offer your employees free education and support (helps everyone)."

Timely and appropriate education and support help employees to be less distracted in the workplace after an event. Early support helps residents to plug into their own coping mechanisms, preventing them from falling apart and creating more crisis.

"Employees who receive this type of service tend to remain (focused in the workplace)," said Ellington. "They tend to rely less on alcohol as a coping tool. This provides fewer accidents at work and fewer sick days. It is a financial benefit to the business."

"Number Three: financial support," said Miller. "Right now, classes normally run $350 each. We are offering them to people who are interested in the team - you are not obligated to join it - for $60 for two days of training. That is dirt cheap."

Each class offered by the team has an estimated price of $600.

This year, CST's annual budget is only $9,500.

"That is mostly for training materials," said Ellington. "Nobody's paid and we haven't really been able to reimburse people."

"We welcome big checks," said Miller.

The Crisis Support Team of Northwest Tennessee is sponsored by Dyer County Mayor Richard Hill and Dyersburg Mayor John Holden. Its Board of Directors consists of President Steve Walker, Vice-President Judy Patton, Secretary Cathy Cavness and Chief James Medling. Clinical director is Dr. Johnnie Welch, LPC, LMFT.

Those interested in registering for the class, mailing a donation or joining the CST may call (731) 589-1175, visit www.bobmiller.dmin@gmail.com, or mail their donation to Crisis Support Team of Northwest Tennessee, P.O. Box 103, Dyersburg, TN 38025-0103.