Sample Debrief Guide and Incident Debrief

Sample Debrief Guide and Incident Debrief

Sample Debrief Guide

Debriefing can be used as part of an emergency intervention to help staff who have recently experienced a traumatic event, either directly or indirectly. The goal of a debriefing session is to try and reduce the possibility of stress or other psychological symptoms.

A debriefing is normally done within 72 hours of the incident and gives the individual or group the opportunity to talk about their experience, how it has affected them, brainstorm coping mechanisms, identify individuals at risk and inform the individual or group about services available to them in the organization and externally. The final step is to follow up with them the day after the debriefing to ensure that they are safe and coping well or refer them to the appropriate supports, which may include an Employee Assistance Program, counselling services, etc. Follow up with the affected individuals should occur according to a plan that is set out between the individual and their manager/supervisor.

Before organizing a debriefing, the organization or facility should consider the following:

Who is best suited to lead the debriefing? Will we use an internal facilitator or an external facilitator?
How soon after the incident will it take place?
Should it be done individually or as a group?
Where will the debriefing happen?
Will attendance be mandatory?
How long will the debriefing last?
What if participants want to leave?

As this is only a guide, it is suggested that those responsible for conducting debrief sessions refer to Human Resources or their organization’s policies and guidelines to see if they already have something in place. Alternatively, an organization can use the following Critical Incident Group Debriefing – Issues and Considerations from the Crisis and Trauma Resources Institute Inc. to create a debrief procedure if they do not currently have one.

Source

Incident Debrief

A serious or threatening workplace incident is an event — like an injury, threat, or fatality — that causes emotional or psychological trauma in people exposed to the incident directly. It is a sudden, powerful event outside the range of normal experience — and outside of the worker's control.

Reactions to highly stressful events can include:

Feeling jumpy, anxious, moody, or irritable
Having difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or thinking clearly
Having trouble going near the incident scene, or to places that trigger memories of the incident
Having trouble being around people
Having difficulty being alone
Sleep disturbance/nightmares

These reactions are normal responses to stressful or abnormal events. Workers' feelings about their jobs and the workplace can be seriously affected, and the whole workplace may suffer after a serious or threatening incident. Effects may include poor morale, decreased productivity, increased accidents and sick time, higher disability claims, and greater staff turnover.

Employers' role in serious or threatening incidents

Employers can effectively manage serious or threatening incidents with clear policies and procedures that are caring, sensitive, and responsive to workers. Intervention procedures may reduce the intense reactions of workers to an incident and assist them in returning to their duties. Types of interventions that could be held include:

Defusing session for staff

Held within 6 to 8 hours of the incident, a defusing session is a brief confidential, non-judgmental group meeting of workers affected by the incident. It is important to have experienced people specially trained to conduct a defusing session; this can include trained peers. The defuser explains the physical, emotional and mental reactions that workers may be experiencing, and how to take care of their emotional and physical health.

Debriefing session for staff

A debriefing session is ideally held within 24 to 72 hours after an incident. It is a confidential, non-judgmental discussion of the continuing effects of a serious or threatening incident on workers. The purpose of this session is to alleviate the trauma of affected workers, and to assist in the recovery process. Debriefing focuses on the emotional well-being of workers – it does not attempt to find the cause of the incident or assign blame. Sessions should be led by trained professionals and participation voluntary.

Corporate review for management

Within 30 days of an incident, an employer conducts a broad review of all steps taken in response to the incident, including:

First aid
Emergency procedures
Critical incident debriefing
Incident investigation
Corrective responses
Claims management

The purpose of a corporate review is to assess the effectiveness of company's procedures, how the company responded, and suggest other corrective steps that should be put in place. This does not replace an incident investigation.

Critiquing session for management

A critiquing session is held a few weeks after the incident. Employers, supervisors, and workers review all aspects of the incident to uncover deficiencies in the handling of the incident, and provide corrective solutions. The session looks at how the incident was handled, how it could have been handled better, how it could have been prevented, and the effectiveness of the intervention. Related company policies, safety regulations, safe work procedures are also reviewed.

In a critical incident where staff has been physically assaulted, management can choose to hold a debrief on their own if they are trained and feel comfortable doing so. If not, management should defer to Human Resources, if applicable, or seek a trained professional to provide the debrief.

In an incident where a staff member has been threatened, experienced harassment and bullying or endured verbal abuse, the manager or management team may feel comfortable enough to handle the debrief situation themselves.

*At the end of the day, it is best practice to have someone who is trained and qualified provide debrief sessions for your staff.*