HENDRICKS COUNTY — Unexpected traumatic events can overwhelm a person and a community physically, emotionally and spiritually. Victims and survivors of crime, trauma, and disasters often leave the scene of a traumatic event with no one to talk to about what they’ve just been through. This can lead to deep-seated traumatization and ongoing mental health problems in the future.
The Hendricks County Crisis Response Team (CRT) exists to reverse this trend. CRT members allow individuals to share their crisis reactions with others involved by providing a safe place for those affected to debrief the situation. Crisis intervention support sessions minimize further crisis reactions and help provide education and much needed support. The CRT also provides critical incident debriefing and support for first responders, who often go forgotten about following an event. Made up of Hendricks County residents who volunteer their time, the CRT follows the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) crisis response model and protocol to provide support in the hours and days following a traumatic event.
Founded in 1975, NOVA is the oldest national victim assistance organization of its type in the United States and is the recognized leader in victim advocacy, education and credentialing. NOVA includes evidence-informed and field-tested best practices as a crisis management utility that includes trauma mitigation and education protocols. With over 10,000 trained in North America and internationally, NOVA-CRT training is an effective tool that can be instantly scaled up for mass-casualty critical incidents.
Prior to the Hendricks County Crisis Response Team’s official launch in early 2020, an additional call-out training for new volunteers will be hosted November 7th-9th, 2019 at the Hendricks Regional YMCA in Avon, IN. Currently, the CRT has 16 committed members. By the end of the 2019 training, their goal is to have at least 30 committed members. The training is open to anyone over the age of 21 who lives in Hendricks County with an interest in serving their community during times of great need.
To register for the November training, or for more information, please visit:
www.hendrickscountymrc.org/crisis-response-team-psychological.html or call April at 317-790-9396.
