‘People can easily feel overwhelmed’: CISM team helping responders manage stress during deployments

Photo By Justin Campfield | Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program peer supporter Katie Reed speaks with a U.S. Army Corps of Engineer employee deployed to Southern California wildfires response. CISM’s mission is to provide education, support, and assistance to USACE employees for incidental or cumulative critical incident stress experienced in the performance of their jobs and/or in the event of major civil emergencies, natural disasters or military contingencies. To contact the CISM team, call the 24-hour helpline at [phone] or email [e-mail].  

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

06.02.2025

Story by Justin Campfield 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District

Katie Reed’s “day job” at the Environmental and Munitions Center for Expertise in Huntsville, Alabama, supports environmental restoration at Department of Defense installations. But during her current deployment to the Palisades emergency field office, she is supporting a different kind of vital resource: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees.

As a peer supporter in the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program, Reed and her teammates help USACE employees manage the stressful, job-related incidents and trauma that are sometimes encountered on emergency operations deployments.

Reed, who says she became a peer supporter because “supporting people is a significant part of my core values,” recently agreed to answer a number of questions posed by USACE public affairs (PA).
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

PA: What is CISM and what is its role in disaster response?

Reed: CISM is a crisis intervention system designed to help people manage emotional and psychological impacts of traumatic situations. It includes providing information to folks about stress coping techniques and dealing with the effects of stress,

PA: Why is it important for the "helpers" to ask for help themselves?

Reed: Most often under stressful conditions, people forget or simply don’t notice how they are being impacted by the surrounding conditions. It’s always good to have folks looking in from the outside.

PA: What are signs people should look for when they need help?

Reed: Signs of being stressed to the point where seeking assistance would be helpful are things like muscle tension, headaches, feeling nauseous, being easily provoked, anxiousness, sleeplessness, and loss of appetite. In disaster recovery situations, people can easily feel overwhelmed, have trouble concentrating, and have a general feeling of being “on edge.”

PA: What can people do when they find themselves in stressful situations?

Reed: The number one thing people can do to counter stress is to prioritize good sleep, get exercise, and especially in moments of an immediate high-anxiety situation, practice mindful breathing or meditation. Eating nutritious food and spending time with people you care about is also extremely helpful.

PA: The impact an incident might have on emergency responders doesn’t end when the deployment ends. What should people keep in mind when they return home?

Reed: Absolutely, often it all catches up to folks when they return to their normal duties. The key is to take time for self-care and ease back into the routine.

PA: How do USACE employees contact CISM?

Reed: To contact the CISM team, call the 24-hour helpline at [phone] or email [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 06.02.2025
• Date Posted: 06.02.2025 19:02
• Story ID: 499465
• Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, US