Critical Incident Debriefing for Your Team
When something serious happens at work, your people need support quickly, from someone who knows what they are doing. Lerni’s psychologists and therapists help your team make sense of what happened, look after each other and get back to work safely.
What is critical incident debriefing?
Critical incident debriefing is structured, trauma-informed support for staff after a distressing event at work, such as a death, an assault, a serious injury or a child protection matter. A Lerni practitioner works with the people affected, as a group or one on one, to help them understand what they are feeling, recognise normal stress reactions and know where to get more help if they need it. Nobody is pushed to relive the event. Support is delivered by AHPRA-registered psychologists and board-accredited therapists and can usually be arranged within a day or two.
The days after an incident shape what happens next
After a serious incident, managers are pulled in every direction: reports, families, regulators, rosters. The people who were there are often expected to keep working as if nothing happened.
Some will be fine. Others will struggle to sleep, avoid the place where it happened or quietly start looking for another job. Without support, one incident can turn into weeks of sick leave, a workers’ compensation claim or a resignation.
Getting the right support in early shows your team they are looked after, and gives you a clear, professional response you can stand behind.
- The death of a client, participant, child or colleague
- A physical assault or threats of violence
- A child protection report or disclosure
- A suicide or suspected suicide
- A serious injury, accident or medical emergency
- An aggressive or traumatic incident with a family or member of the public
- Any event that has shaken a whole team
How we support your team
Our trauma-informed practitioners work alongside you, so you can keep your service running while your people get the support they need.
Group debriefing
A facilitated session for the team affected, so people hear they are not alone in how they feel and agree how to support each other.
One-on-one support
Individual sessions for the people most affected, including the manager who has been holding everyone else together.
Follow-up and ongoing supervision
If you would like it, we check in with your team in the weeks afterwards and offer regular supervision for anyone who needs more than one session.
A fast, professional response protects your people and your organisation
Staff remember how they were treated after the worst day at work. A quick, professional response builds trust and keeps good people.
Australian work health and safety laws require employers to manage psychosocial risks, including exposure to traumatic events. Timely support is part of meeting that duty of care.
You get one provider to call for every site, so staff are not left to find help on their own.
Questions we are asked most
How quickly can you get to us?
We move as fast as the situation needs. A team debrief can usually be arranged within a day or two.
Is it online or in person?
Both. We can be with your team in person anywhere in greater Sydney. Outside Sydney we can support your team online, usually within a day or two, or travel to you, with travel time and costs added.
Is this the same as our EAP?
No. An EAP gives individuals a number to call. We work with the team that was affected, together and one on one, and we support the manager too.
Should everyone have to attend?
No. Attendance should be voluntary. We help you invite people without pressure, and make sure anyone who does not attend still knows how to get support.
Do we need to be an existing Lerni client?
No. Critical incident debriefing is open to any organisation that needs it, whether or not you use Lerni for supervision.
Need support for your team?
Tell us what has happened and we will come back to you quickly. If it is urgent, call us.