Post Critical Incident Seminar - Military (PCIS-M)

The Overall Goal of the Post Critical Incident Seminar: turning vulnerability into strength through learning, utilizing and offering peer support.

This is an experiential workshop for officers who have "been there". Despite the best support immediately following a critical incident, there can be long lasting effects. Going through a critical incident is like crossing a fence, with no opportunity to jump back. A critical incident can rupture an officer's basic worldview. You are vulnerable and have to emotionally come to grips with a reality that the uninitiated cannot understand. The job, the street, and one's weapon are perceived differently. The PCIS will provide education on trauma, patterns of resolution, and field-tested coping strategies to promote recovery and resilience. Peer support is an important element of the PCIS. Discussion of incidents with fellow officers who have "been there" promotes normalization and recovery. This format has been in use by the FBI since 1985.

Offered only to first-responders and tele-communicators who have been through highly traumatic events, the PCIS can mean the difference between staying on the job or leaving law enforcement for another profession due to the unresolved and unexamined effects of critical incident stress.

What is a Critical Incident? A Critical Incident is any event that results in an overwhelming sense of vulnerability and/or loss of control. These include line of duty shootings, getting shot or seriously hurt on the job, high speed pursuits that end in tragedy, events that bring prolonged and critical media attention, personal tragedies and the like.

What will I get out of this? An opportunity to share one's experience with one's peers, give and receive support, sessions with law enforcement related mental health professionals utilizing proven trauma recovery methods, and learn coping strategies that will enable recovery from past critical incidents and strengthen one's ability to deal with future incidents.

There is no registration fee for the seminar. Participating departments and agencies will cover the costs of meals and lodging.

Officers are encouraged to bring their spouse as they are also affected by the critical incident.

Please use separate registration forms for you and your spouse.

The PCIS is NOT intended to be an initial debriefing immediately following an incident. 3-6 months after an incident is the earliest that officers should consider attending the seminar.

THIS IS NOT CISM TRAINING

[ View a PCIS Video ]

Topics Covered / Course Objectives

  • Share experiences with fellow officers who have been involved in traumatic incidents
  • Give and receive support
  • Understand trauma recovery methods by working with law enforcement-related mental health professionals
  • Learn coping strategies to recovery from past trauma and build resiliency for future incidents
  • Utilize the Eye Movement Desensitization and Processing Technique to help resolve recurring trauma

Who Should Attend / Admission Requirements

  • First-responders and telecommunicators who have been adversely affected by highly traumatic events
  • Spouses are encouraged to attend with the participant

Course Length

Post Critical Incident Seminar - Military (PCIS-M) is a three-day course.

Course Hours

Participants receive 24 hours of TCOLE credit.

Course Cost / Fee Policy

Post Critical Incident Seminar - Military (PCIS-M) is offered at no charge from LEMIT in coordination with COMPASS-Texas to Texas Law Enforcement Officers, Military (Both active or veteran), Telecommunicators, and other First responders that have been affected by traumatic incidents.

Registration Process

Registration is 100% online. Please visit the Register Online link located on the Upcoming Events table below or the LEMIT Calendar page to register. A confirmation e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address indicated on the form within two weeks of registration.

Cancellation / No-Show Policy

Please inform the Program Coordinator prior to the date of the program if you will not be attending.

Course Contact

Max Toliver Jr., Manager/Coordinator - LCC
Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas
George J. Beto Criminal Justice Building
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX 77341-2417
Fax: (936) 294-3926
Phone: (936) 294-3193
Phone: 800-477-9248
lcc@shsu.edu

Additional Information

Hotel, Travel, and Meals:
The participant or their agency is responsible for expenses incurred for travel to and from the training, hotel cost, and meals excluding lunch. Hotel information will be included in the confirmation email. Choosing a hotel and making a reservation is the responsibility of each participant.

Dress for the Week:
Casual dress for the seminar with the exception of caps/hats, shorts/flipflops. Participants should feel as comfortable as needed. It is always recommended to bring a light jacket in case the training room is cold.

Firearms:
If you choose to wear your duty weapon you may do so in full uniform or in plain clothes with your badge fully displayed. Individuals who are 21 years of age and who currently possess a handgun license from the State of Texas or an approved reciprocating state may legally carry a concealed handgun on or about their person. Handguns may be carried on campus, except at collegiate and UIL athletic events, health and counseling centers, and other specified locations on campus. Signs will clearly identify prohibited sites around campus.

Tobacco Products:
In order to promote a healthy, safe, and aesthetically pleasing work and educational environment, Sam Houston State University endorses a smoke free and tobacco free environment. Tobacco use (including smokeless tobacco) is not permitted on campus grounds. Electronic cigarettes/vaping products are also prohibited.

LEMIT Building and Parking:

The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas is located at 1600 Bobby K. Marks Dr., Huntsville, Texas, at the corner of Bobby K. Marks and Bearkat Boulevard on the campus of Sam Houston State University. It also is located right next door to the University Hotel.

  • ALL vehicles must be registered to park on the SHSU campus. This includes marked agency vehicles.
  • Prior to your class, you will receive information on how to register your vehicle and where to park.
  • For visitors and guests, there are pay-by-hour spaces along Bobby K. Marks Street and Bearkat Boulevard; however, these are managed through the City of Huntsville system and are not part of the University permits. Follow instructions listed on street signs for payment options and be sure to select "Huntsville" when asked to select a location. For more information on the City of Huntsville system, visit Huntsville Paid Parking.
  • Parking is also available for visitors in the Sam Houston Parking Garage, located at 1730 Avenue I, within walking distance to LEMIT. The parking garage contains approximately 250 hourly use parking spaces. Visitors should not park in the parking spaces that are numbered; the numbered spaces are reserved for Garage Permit Holders only. For directions to the SHSU Parking Garage, please click here.