BSU Conducts CSID for Typhoon Pepeng Victims
11.18.09 -FJLumian

     BSU in coordination with the Department of Heath (DOH), Philippine Mental Health Association (PMHA), Baguio General Hospital – Psychiatry Department, and Sunflower Wellness Center conducted Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) for volunteers and victims of typhoon Pepeng.

     One hundred sixty two BSU students and 61 BSU faculty and staff were debriefed few weeks after the surge of typhoon Pepeng. The service was also extended to 99 faculty and staff of San Jose High School, 150 pupils of Buyagan and Puguis Elementary Schools, 33 Benguet National High School students and 5 evacuees of NIA Evacuation Center. Most appreciated the debriefing because it was timely and addressed the pressing needs of the community.

     The CISD is designed to help the volunteers and victims deal with their trauma by allowing them to talk about the disaster they’ve experienced without judgment or criticism. The program is peer-driven and the people giving the treatment may come from all walks of life, but most are in the mental health field. All interventions are strictly confidential. The only caveat to this is if the helpee is a danger to himself or to others. The emphasis is always on keeping people safe and returning them quickly to more normal levels of functioning.

     The debriefing activities were spearheaded by the College of Teacher Education and the Office of Student Affairs.