Maria Canton
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 14/99) - When nine men were killed in the explosion at Giant Mine in 1992, Barb Hoddinott realized the need for a Critical Incident Stress Management program in Yellowknife.

"People need to tell their stories and thoughts when they are involved in a crisis situation," says Hoddinott, a registered nurse at Stanton Hospital and co-ordinator for Yellowknife's CISM team.

"However, debriefing is not counselling, it deals with the emotional and cognitive effects that trauma has on those involved."

Debriefing, the main concept behind CISM, is a three hour process which occurs between 24 and 72 hours after a traumatic incident.

"A debriefing team has to be requested by those involved," said Hoddinott.

"It can be for members of the community or for emergency responders."

Deputy fire chief Mike Lowing says having trained people and resources available to emergency responders is a necessity.

"When traumatic incidents occur on the job, like the death of a child, there has to be care for the caregiver."

Emergency responders are constantly being exposed to situations that are potentially traumatic, making them almost routine.

"The fire department has eight people who have the basic training," says Lowing.

"Fortunately, we've never really had to use them, but they (the team) has travelled with Barb (Hoddinott) to help other communities deal with crises."

As of right now, Hoddinott is the only certified trainer in the North who is available to train leaders and peer supporters in the debriefing process. "The Yellowknife team used to travel around the North a lot," says Hoddinott, "But now communities have their own qualified people in place."

At present, Hoddinott is focusing her attention on the particulars of debriefing children, having just returned from the fifth world congress meeting of the International Critical Incident Stress foundation in Baltimore, Maryland.

"In the last group I trained, there were ten teachers and part of my trip to Baltimore was to learn more about debriefing for kids," says Hoddinott.

"The teachers made a request for it and the fact that they are aware is a very good thing."

Yellowknife has a debriefing team of 20 people who are trained in critical incident stress management.