Critical Incident Support Team Discontinued

From Mona Anderson, Counseling Center:

After extensive thought, consideration, and conversations, including with the Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, the Critical Incident Support Team (CIST), created in 1999, will be discontinued in its present form. The team has considered the frequency of use, combined with the resources needed to keep individuals on the team current with their Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) skills, along with the ability of our trained Counseling Center staff to respond to critical incidents. Student needs have also evolved, with more students seeking support individually rather than as groups. For any future critical incidents that involve a large part of the campus, the college can seek help from the New Hampshire Disaster Behavioral Health Response Team (DBHRT).

At the same time, in keeping with Keene State’s Strategic Plan of supporting student well-being (Objective 4.4), many initiatives and opportunities are being planned and will be available to all staff and faculty in the coming months. We hope you will engage with these opportunities to provide emotional support to our students. Please take advantage, too, of programs already offered such as suicide prevention and Active Bystander training.

We thank all the members of the CIST over the years for supporting our students by giving your time, energy, and, most of all, your caring about their well-being. Thank you, too, for your caring of each other and other staff and faculty when we have been affected by a critical incident.

The CIST Executive Board

Sheila Kirby

Caroll Lothrop

Mona Anderson