Crisis Intervention Support Service

Clanwilliam Institute is well placed, given its highly professional and experienced staff members, to provide support services to employees in organisations following stressful events. The format of this support includes the facilitation of group process, to provide a forum for employees to speak about their experience with a view to creating a mutually supportive environment and in addition to this the provision of support to staff on an individual basis.

This does not constitute a critical incident support management approach, which is a very structured approach to trauma but it is the provision of an approach informed by both systemic and social constructionist ideas that provides an opportunity for people to discuss and make sense of their experience.

It is our own view that to be most helpful the provision of this kind of support best takes place within a week of the event, not necessarily in the first 48 hours, when people have got past the initial shock and are more able to engage with a therapeutic conversation.