Crisis Response

The ICPC counselling team is specifically trained and experienced as Crisis Responders using the US-based NOVA model (National Organization for Victim Assistance). Varying levels of services supporting communities (organizational, corporate, schools, etc.) experiencing crisis and tragedy can be provided—Crisis Counselling, Consultation, On-site crisis response teams, and Supportive Coaching.

The first level of response ICPC offers is crisis counselling. ICPC’s offices are centrally located on Orchard Road in Singapore where clients can attend an individual counselling session. Clients coming to Singapore for services can be provided with an intensive schedule of individual counselling sessions (for example, Mon, Wed, & Fri) over the course of a week. This can take place immediately after the event and can be followed up with another intensive week sometime later, as needed. Counselling can also be provided by telephone or Skype, if more suitable.

The second level of response ICPC offers is crisis response consultation. ICPC crisis responders are available to assist community leaders through the process of planning a response to a crisis situation. Incidents which have community-wide impact can vary from individual crises such as an industrial accident with injury or death, through to incidents where multiple people are injured or killed, such as a transportation incident.

Examples of planning issues which ICPC crisis responders are prepared to address include:

• Identifying high-risk groups in need of immediate and long-term support
• Identification of support resources
• Memorial planning
• Considerations related to resumption of work
• Education about the impact of the incident on individuals and the wider community
• Longer-term concerns for the community affected

The third level of response ICPC provides is a Crisis Response Team (minimum of 2 responders, if outside of Singapore) to the location of the crisis or where those affected by an incident may be gathering. A crisis response team provides three types of assistance: planning, “just-in-time” training and direct services. Planning support is focused on helping community leaders assess the impact of the crisis and plan for short and long-term support, addressing some of the issues mentioned previously in the consultation overview. “Just-in-time” training can be provided for human resource or employee assistance program staff to help them provide on-going support after the ICPC Crisis Response Team leaves. Direct services includes psycho-education, individual crisis and group crisis intervention.

The fourth level of response ICPC provides is Supportive Coaching. Supportive Coaching would directly respond to the emotional and psychological consequences of a critical incident, and can be integrated with your business continuity plan or pre-crisis response planning. Our team of ICPC clinicians are prepared to address a wide variety of crisis and trauma related coaching topics, including::

• The impact of disaster on the individual and community
• Crisis intervention skills
• Group crisis intervention skills
• Death notification and breaking bad news
• Death, loss and grief
• Impact of trauma on children and the elderly
• Cross-cultural considerations when responding to trauma
• Spirituality and trauma
• Caregiver stress
• Basic counselling skills