Best Practices in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), Assignment 1

• LO1: Have an understanding of the potential psychological impact of a critical incident.
• LO2: Identify the indicators of stress following a critical incident.
• LO3: Have an understanding of the role of properly trained Peer Support workers in an organisation.
• LO4: Understand and be able to recommend an appropriate CISM Programme in their area.
• LO5: Understand the legal imperatives on employers to provide critical incident stress supports.
• LO6: Understand measures in psychosocial risk to inform levels of staff supports required in their area.
• LO7: Appreciate the cost benefits of a CISM Programme.

Assignment / Project Brief

Answer question ONE, TWO, or THREE. All questions carry equal marks, but Question 1 has 2 parts.

Question 1

A: Describe the Individual (one-to-one) psychological support Intervention in a best practice CISM programme, referring to both the goals and stages of each. [50 marks]

AND:

B: Explain the 3Rs of Resiliency, as per the John Hopkins Model, referring to your own work context. [50 marks]

OR

Question 2

Outline and discuss the 7 Principles of Crisis Intervention in a best practice CISM system, referring to the core components of CISM. [100 marks]

OR

Question 3

Outline and discuss a best practice CISM Policy/Guidelines for the National Ambulance Service. [100 marks]

Assignment Format

The assignment should be Times New Roman, 12pt font size, with 1.5 line spacing. Referencing Style is Harvard Referencing (more details below).

Extension Policy

As per SETU policy, submission dates will only be extended in exceptional circumstances.

If an extension is required, students must email extendedcampus.cw@setu.ie in advance of the deadline. Supporting documentary evidence may also be requested.

Penalties for Late Submission

Where no formal extension has been granted, assignments received at any time after the submission date may be graded, but a penalty applies, as follows:

• a) Assignments submitted at any time up to one week after the due date will have the mark awarded to them reduced by 10% (for example, from 57% to 47%).
• b) Assignments submitted more than one week but up to two weeks after the due date will have the mark reduced by 20% (for example, from 87% to 67%).
• c) Assignments received more than two weeks after the due date shall not be accepted. In this event, the learner shall receive a grade of 0.

Referencing Style

You must use Harvard Referencing for your assignment. Should you need any support with this, please consult the resources at the following links:

• On Blackboard (in TLC Student Hub), check out the PACE Modules from Library and Teaching and Learning Centre – Module 3 explores citations and referencing and will guide you on how to reference correctly.
• Credit where Credit is Due – Institute’s Referencing Guide – available at: https://libguides.itcarlow.ie/ld.php?content_id=31933427

Academic Integrity

All work submitted should be correctly cited and referenced, respecting and acknowledging the work of others. It is each person’s own responsibility to ensure that academic integrity is maintained through awareness of appropriate referencing and paraphrasing practices.

Should you require any further support with this, please consult the resources available to you on Blackboard in the TLC Student Hub, in particular the PACE Programme and the Library website here: https://www.itcarlow.ie/library/support.htm

For more detail on Academic Integrity, please consult the Institute’s Academic Regulations Policy on the SETU website here: https://www.setu.ie/Craft/assets/policies/Academic-Regulations-for-Taught-Programmes-2024-2025.pdf

Plagiarism Policy

Assignments which have copied work from websites, from other authors, from other students, or any other sources will receive a grade of 0. All instances of plagiarism will be reported to the Head of Department who, in turn, is obliged to report them to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Students who receive this grade may be asked to justify their actions to the Institute’s plagiarism panel. Please note that copying verbatim from original sources is unacceptable even if you provide references.

Artificial Intelligence

You must read the AI Mate summary provided for this module by your lecturer on Blackboard. This will explain the lecturer’s approach to the use of AI tools in this module, and you should use this as a guide to your use of AI tools.

As part of the assessment strategy, students may be called upon, at random, to orally defend any piece of work submitted. This would be conducted, not as a punitive measure, but rather as a way of positively supporting the overall assessment process and ensuring that it is robust. Work submitted through TURNITIN will produce an AI report as well as a Similarity report. Assignments which have copied work from websites, from other authors, from other students, or any other sources will receive a grade of 0.

Assignments must be submitted via Turnitin. If assignments are not submitted via Turnitin, this will be regarded as a non-submission.

Additional Supports

Blackboard supports: As this is a written assignment, you may wish to avail of the additional supports that are available to you on Blackboard (via TLC Student Hub), as follows:

• Academic Writing Resources – [log-in required] links to a range of supports and materials that will help you with your writing.
• PACE Modules from Library and Teaching and Learning Centre – a suite of online modules to help you Plan, Access, Critique, and Evaluate resources in the library that can assist you with your assignment.

The Teaching & Learning Centre supports students to learn – see further information here: https://www.setu.ie/teaching-learning/tlc-support-for-students

If you need help with any aspect of your assignment writing (e.g., sentence structure, referencing, etc.) and would like a 15-minute session with an Academic Writing Tutor, then check out TLC Student Hub each week for the timetable of support sessions and book a slot by emailing tlc.cw@setu.ie.

Other online resources which may be useful:

• https://libguides.westminster.ac.uk/critical-thinking-and-writing/critical-writing – outlines the key features of critical writing and how to structure your writing.
• https://library.dmu.ac.uk//ld.php?content_id=1879493 – includes a useful glossary and suggestions on how to develop your ideas.
• https://online.essex.ac.uk/blog/15-foolproof-tips-for-writing-a-great-assignment/ – does exactly what it says.
• https://www.openpolytechnic.ac.nz/current-students/study-tips-and-techniques/assignments/step-by-step-guide-to-assignment-writing/ – step-by-step guide to assignment writing.