Events that pose a serious threat to employees can have a profound impact on them. When such an event occurs in the workplace, it’s important for organisations to support employees in understanding and coping with the experience.
A critical incident is an event that is sudden, intense, threatening, overwhelming, or prolonged, including but not limited to assaults, serious injuries, death, fires, or bomb threats.
We’re dedicated to promoting mental and emotional well-being in the workplace to create a supportive environment for employees to navigate critical incidents and their emotional and psychological impacts, and emerge stronger together.
Through confidential and structured counselling and debriefing sessions, we offer a space for individuals to process their experiences, manage stress, and foster resilience.
Providing prompt support to employees impacted by a critical incident is vital to their recovery and wellbeing - and that of the organisation. As Critical Incidents are unplanned events, the impact on people and their reactions can differ widely based on their personal history, health and stress levels before the event occurred. Our Critical Incident Response service allows employers to act swiftly after an incident to support their employees in their time of need.
In this facilitator-run debriefing session, we will ask open-ended questions of the group to encourage dialogue and participation. The debriefing process is client-led, and aims to open up constructive dialogue between staff in relation to the Incident. This process creates a safe environment and culture of comradery where each member has the opportunity to express and share thoughts and/or feelings about the Incident and its impact on them.
Our service helps employees connect and move forward following a challenging experience in the workplace. Get started today.
Find answers to some common questions about Workplace Incident Debriefing services. If your question isn't addressed here, please reach out to us directly. We're here to help.
What is a critical incident?
A critical incident (CI) could include the death, suicide, a significant accident or incident related to staff either at work or at home, or any other circumstance that may affect the functioning of the business ie. significant staff illness, financial hardship, stress in the leadership team, or an event that overwhelms the organisation's ability to respond per usual policy and process.
Why is it important to debrief after an incident?
The best results in Critical Incidents come from having a skilled counsellor, providing support to staff to manage the situation, and guide recovery. By using the counsellor’s expertise, we can provide not only psychological safety and reassurance for staff; but also make crucial early assessments and provide the necessary level of assistance at the time it is required. This efficient response reduces the overall emotional and psychological impacts for staff; and reduces ongoing financial costs.
What are the signs and symptoms of critical incident stress?
After a Critical Incident, people are likely to experience one or more of the following symptoms:
What is critical incident counselling?
The Business Resilience Centre (BRC) provides three critical incident response levels depending on your needs. Support can include de-brief sessions, workshops facilitated by a counsellor on topics such as ‘dealing with grief’; on-site individual sessions, ongoing individual sessions through the Employee Assistance Program, and ongoing support to the business. All responses are designed to provide timely and effective support to your employees in the aftermath of a challenging event. Please contact us to discuss your needs and the options available.
For an obligation-free chat about how our Workplace Incident Debriefing service might help your business and employees, please call 1300 348 248 or fill out the form below.