April 2020 To read online or check archives, CLICK HERE
Providing support to emergency services personnel and to the victims of emergent crisis.
Words to Live By for April 2020
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge God in all your ways and God will direct your path. Proverbs 3:5-6

One of my favorites because the only condition is TRUST and the application is universal, it doesn't matter if the "ways" are smooth or rough.

This Month's Features:
  • A Handful of Resilience for Trying Times
  • Upcoming CISM & Peer Support Training
  • A Good Read - Articles of Interest
  • A Good View - Video Articles

A Handful of Resilience for Trying Times
Many responders have never experienced an extended crisis like what we find ourselves in now and find it stressful. The great news is that Resilience is the same regardless of the circumstance.
Stress Resilience actually has three phases:
  1. Resistance - how we build immunity to stress BEFORE an exposure.
  2. Resilience - How we "stretch" without snapping during an exposure.
  3. Recovery - How quickly and easily we return to adaptive function.

We are all in Phase 2 right now, and it appears we will be for some time yet. SO, how's your "stretch"? AS I mentioned above, a great thing about Stress Resilience is that it is not dependent on circumstance. The resilience skills that worked for a known threat also work for an unknown threat (COVID-19).

Below are a handful of ideas that can help
train your brain for RESILIENT S-T-R-E-T-C-H.
  1. STRUCTURE - Even though our schedules may be disrupted, try to impose some structure into your days. Get up at a regular time, keep your routine.
  2. LIMIT NEWS - Set a time for catching up on news and then STAY AWAY from it. If you check in once or twice each day, you will NOT miss anything.
  3. SUCCESS REHEARSAL - Run a worst case scenario in your head and visualize how you would respond successfully. (ex: no PPE COVID exposure)
  4. RELAX - This takes WORK! Check out some relaxation techniques below - don't give up, they take practice.
  5. TALK - Choose who you talk to carefully and simply tell about your own experience of our current crisis and how it is hitting you (include your success rehearsal from above). The act of putting thought to sentence reorders our brain and helps.
LEARN MORE about Stress Resilience...
Upcoming Peer Support/CISM Training
Group Crisis Intervention & Assisting Individuals in Crisis (GRIN) is a certified training by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation being taught in the Tri-Cities this Spring by a CISM Approved Instructor.

This is a foundational class for Peer Support personnel, CISM teams, chaplains, and more. It is designed for emergency services personnel and is applicable to your setting. The class is three days and provides a certificate for 27 contact hours.

WHEN: April 28-30 0830-1700 now June 23-25 0830-1700
WHERE: Richland Public Library
955 Northgate Dr, Richland, WA
More Upcoming Training
Advanced CISM - Individual & Group Courses - June 12-15 in Olympia, WA
(THESE COURSES ARE STILL CURRENTLY SCHEDULED)

This event will offer
TWO ADVANCED CISM COURSES.

  1. Advanced Peer Support - June 12-13
  2. Advanced Group Crisis Intervention - June 14-15

This training is the next step for those who have had the basic individual and group classes and have some field experience. The course deals with more difficult interventions and special applications of the SAFER Crisis Intervention Model and Group Crisis Intervention models.
These advanced CISM courses are hard to find and you can get either one or both at this one event.
(Take BOTH and save $50!)
A Good Read?


Resilience is not just something we have or do not have. It is something we LEARN. Here are a couple of resources that I have found helpful to TRAIN YOUR BRAIN.
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CLICK on the image above to read the article
CLICK on the image above to read the article
A Good View?

I recently watched a worthwhile webinar sponsored by FireRescue1 Academy called "First Responders, Stress Management and Coronavirus". YOU SHOULD SEE THIS. You will find it HERE .
NOTE:The first few minutes have audio only, then video starts
Click on the image above to view the webinar.
What Can You Do To Help
Chaplain Services Network?

Our programs need your involvement to survive. Our contracting agencies pitch in some financial support, but we need charitable giving from individuals, churches, and businesses to stay afloat. Our programs serve the entire community and we hope to involve the entire community in supporting Chaplain Services Network.
Chaplain Services Network
Executive Director r
Chaplain William "Bill" Lotz,
D.Min., CCISM
Phone Number: 509.438.4440