The Kentucky Department of Corrections CISD Team is a group of trained staff comprised of Correctional Peer Staff, Psychologists, Chaplains, and Probation and Parole employees.

The CISD team provides debriefing and referral services after a "qualifying event" which includes a workplace incident involving violence, death or serious physical injury and also involving one or more employees, inmates, offenders or volunteers.

Critical incident Stress Debriefing is a specific, 7-phase, small group, supportive crisis intervention process, developed by Jeffrey T. Mitchell, Ph.D.

It is one of many crisis intervention techniques, which are included under the umbrella of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program.

CISM is an adaptive short-term psychological helping-process that focuses solely on an immediate and identifiable problem. The KYDOC established the CISD team in 2014, however they became actively involved in Critical Incidents in 2016.

CISD is not a replacement for professional psychological counseling. Employees selected to be on the CISD team are nominated by Wardens, Probation and Parole Supervisors, and approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections.

All team members are volunteers, and must attend 24 hours of initial CISD training and 8 hours annually to remain active on the team

​CISD can be reached at (502) 222-7808

Staff

Ruth Staples

Assistant Director of Staff Wellness and Critical Incident Stress Debriefing