Virginia Baptists' disaster relief ministry will offer critical incident stress management (CISM) training June 16-18 at the Virginia Baptist Resource Center.
The training is one of the requirements for crisis care chaplains who are deployed during disasters. It is also excellent training for pastors, social workers and mental health professionals to receive training in crisis and trauma intervention.
“After a crisis, 59 percent of the victims are more likely to seek help from a spiritual counselor,” said Tim Boschen, a certified CISM trainer who will faciliate the event. “Since the normal life balance of persons is interrupted, they look to God for answers and since clergy and religious figures are God's operatives, victims look to them.”
Critical incident stress management is a comprehensive, phase sensitive and integrated, multi-component approach to crisis intervention, said Boshen.
“CISM is about spiritual stabilization as a function of the spiritual first aid of crisis intervention in groups and individuals,” he continued. “Critical incidents such as 9/11 cause crises of faith-when one's normal, established relationship with God and accompanying theological world views are violated and rendered seemingly helpless or useless. We know that religion correlates with how people protect themselves from the dangers they perceive in the world. Religion can also effect how people recover better and more quickly from trauma, especially when faith is applied properly and victims receive authentic caring.
“Spiritual CISM is designed to help victims begin the process of coping with disaster such that their faith is maintained and strengthened. CISM training will look at the theory of trauma in the lives of victims and families. The training will also provide practical knowledge in dealing with, and assisting properly, victims at disaster sites.”
The cost for the training will be $50. Training will begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, and end by noon on Saturday, June 18. If you are interested in registering, contact Jim George or John Tadlock at the Virginia Baptist Mission Board at (800) 255-2428.
Special to the Herald