STARTING AN EMOTIONAL CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT TEAM

Constructing Your Team

• Who is on your Emotional Continuity Management Team?

  Will they be trained and ready to get your company up and running during or after an incident?

• How do others respond to this team emotionally?

  Are they well thought of in the organization? Trusted? Safe?

• Who will show up?

  Have all members been trained in leadership to take over in case of loss of life?

• What does your company need to get back to 100% services?

  Can it operate at 10%? 35%?

• What qualifications are acceptable to be on the Emotional Continuity Management team?

  Have they been pre-screened for PTSD from any prior catastrophic incident?

  Are they emotionally stable, mature, trained, and willing?

• Have they had sufficient training?

  What levels of training are sufficient for your team members and leaders ?

• Are your emergency and disaster plans specific or generalized?

  What is vague and what is specific?

• Have you tested your plan?

  Has it been table talk or real-time drills and exercises?

• Have your team member discussed and planned for emotional shock , loss, and terror?

  What support does your team have to manage their feelings when they are supporting others?

• Have all team member been trained to understand the variety of emotional reactions to expect in case of a catastrophic incident by a qualified disaster or trauma specialist or qualified Licensed Mental Health Professional?

• Who will replace you if you are not present? How would your team deal with losing you?

  Does everyone know all the parts of the plan?

Qualifications Checklist for Team Members, External Consultants, Emotional Continuity Management Trainer, Services Provider

Decide what your Best Practices and Standards are for Qualifications and then Document the following (All licensing and certification credentials should be documented with copies of current status that can be updated on a yearly basis as needed):

• Formal training

• Informal training/experiences

• Real time disaster experience

• Continuing education

• Licensures

• License number and date of expiration/photocopy

• Malpractice Insurance

• Specialized training

• Experience

• References

• Special skills

• Special populations skills

• Availability

• Locations

• Types of services

• Application forms/process

• Photo ID

• Criminal background check including fingerprints

• Security clearance if needed

• Vehicular background check if needed

• Signed contract for services including clear fee arrangements

Constructing Your Team Notebook

Minimum requirements should include:

• Team composition

• Chain of authority

• Exit strategies

• Member list and all contact methods

• Collect verifications of qualifications of all team members

• Verification that all team members have been screened for PTSD and prior trauma

• Plans for changes in circumstances, shifts, time off

• Complete data about will your company require to return to 100%, 75%, 50%, 25% services

• Anticipated obstacles to complete recovery

• Written plans for the Emotional Continuity Management for specific incidents, even those that appear to be unlikely :

  • tornado

  • earthquake

  • suicide

  • cyber-crime

  • shooting

  • fire

  • Emotional Terrorist

  • winter storm

  • hurricane

  • chemical spill

  • shelter in place

• Extensive lists of local, regional, national and international resourses

• A chronology of how you have tested your plans and lessons learned data

• Reproducible copies of required or preferred forms or documents

• Emergency numbers for team members and families

• Complete written policy and procedures

• Company/Administrative buy-on statement

• List of insurances and legal support

• List of all employees under the domain of the Emotional Continuity Management Team

NOTEBOOK TIPS:

• If your team has a notebook that they can carry with them to a site, it needs pages that will be removable, pages that are covered with plastic sheet protectors, colorful enough so they can just grab-and-go out the door and not have to search for it under duress, blank lined paper for jotting notes, an attachable pen, perhaps even a backpack or carrying case that they think looks cool. The point of this is that during duress, your team needs to not have to think about anything but doing their work as calmly as possible. Looking for a bit of paper to write a phone number, or scrambling for a pen, is contraindicated for an Emotional Continuity Manager.

• Start collecting data for an ever-evolving team notebook with reproducible documents, forms, logos, policies, plans, procedures, checklists, guidelines, resources, requirements, and anything your team decides would assist them in emotional continuity management during an emotional incident or disaster.