Who Conducts the Debriefing?
The debriefing should be conducted by an experienced mental health facilitator. A professional facilitator is recommended because the emotions expressed in a debriefing may overwhelm an untrained facilitator. The facilitator should be skilled in group dynamics and communications, use a crisis intervention approach, have a good knowledge of stress response syndromes and interventions, and be well-versed in operational procedures of emergency service organizations. When a Debriefing Should Be Held The best time to hold a debriefing is about 24 to 48 hours after the incident. Prior to that time, workers may still be emotionally “numb”, either from the shock of the incident or because their feelings are still being suppressed. Workers are also in the process of intellectually restructuring the incident, often trying to figure out if they operated “by the books”. At the 24-48 hour period, emotions are often surfacing in an intense form. This is a good time to deal with them. Effectiveness d
