CIRT Team Roles
Team Coordinators
CIRT Team Coordinators are given the responsibility to "activate" the CIRT Team at Penn State Behrend. The role of a team coordinator is to:
- Implement the College Emergency Notification System (University Relations, Police and Safety, Provost Office, Residence Life, and the Counseling Center).
- Inform the college community of the incident and services to be provided when appropriate via the Student ListServ, News Releases, and Faculty/Staff ListServs.
- Complete the Critical Incident Screening Form, determine if CIRT needs to be activated, and appoint a team leader.
Team Leaders
CIRT Team Leaders take responsibility on a rotation basis for forming teams in the event of a critical incident or crisis on the campus of Penn State Behrend. The CIRT Team Leaders at Penn State Behrend all have mental health counseling degrees and have been trained in the CISM model. The role of a team leader is to:
- Consult with the Team Coordinator regarding the incident.
- Complete the Critical Incident Request Form.
- Determine a plan of action (types of services to be rendered). These are: defusing, debriefing, pastoral/peer support, psychological services, community referral, crisis management briefing (parents), and others.
- Assemble, designate, and dispatch team members.
- Remain accessible to team throughout the process.
- Designate location of command center.
- Collect results of intervention for post-incident critique.
Team Members
CIRT Team Members represent various college areas and have been trained in the CISM model. Others have completed the training but have chosen not to be active members of the team. Those who are active members attend group and committee meetings and participate in ongoing education in the CISM model. This group is the pool from which teams will be formed to respond to crises that occur on campus.
