OCM BOCES Regional Crisis Intervention Team

Compassionate Support When It’s Needed Most

Crisis changes a school community in an instant. Healing happens one relationship at a time.

The OCM BOCES Regional Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) exists to help districts respond with compassion, confidence, and care when tragedy occurs. Whether a school is grieving the loss of a student or staff member, responding to a traumatic event, or navigating a community-wide crisis, our team walks alongside educators—not to lead the work for them, but to strengthen their capacity to support one another.

Through trauma-informed practices, grief-informed guidance, and collaborative planning, we help create environments where students, staff, and families feel seen, supported, and connected. We believe that healing begins with safe relationships, compassionate leadership, and communities willing to stand together through difficult moments.

Because even in the hardest moments, no school should have to navigate crisis alone.

Who We Are

The strength of the OCM BOCES  CIT lies in its people. Nearly 60 professionals from across our 23 component districts have chosen to serve beyond the walls of their own schools because they believe every community deserves compassionate support during times of crisis.

Together, our team brings expertise in trauma-informed care, grief support, mental health, and school-based crisis response. More importantly, we bring a shared belief that healing is built through relationships, trust, and collaboration. By partnering with districts before, during, and after a crisis, we help create the conditions for recovery, resilience, and hope.

TRAINING

Every member of our district CIT has received 5 day training in the Trauma Informed Grief (TIG) curriculum as well as Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM).

Why Our Crisis Intervention Team is Trained in TIG and CISM?

In times of crisis, students, staff, and families deserve care that is not only immediate but also informed, compassionate, and sustainable. That’s why all members of our Regional Crisis Intervention Team are trained in both Trauma-Informed Grief (TIG) and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM).

• TIG (Trauma-Informed Grief) equips our team to respond with deep sensitivity to the unique needs of individuals grieving a sudden loss. Grounded in the latest research on trauma, child development, and resilience, this approach ensures we support grieving students and staff in ways that are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and emotionally safe.
  
  

• CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) prepares our team to stabilize and support individuals immediately after a traumatic event through structured protocols like defusing and debriefing. These practices are designed to reduce the risk of long-term emotional harm and foster collective healing.
  
  

Together, these two frameworks allow our team to:
✅ Create calm, safe spaces for emotional processing
✅ Recognize signs of trauma and grief across age groups
✅ Support school reintegration and community resilience
✅ Center equity, dignity, and choice in all interactions

We are proud to bring this dual lens to every crisis response, ensuring our schools and communities are not just supported—but genuinely cared for.

What We Do

Our team provides responsive post-crisis support tailored to the unique needs of each situation, including:

• 🧠 Consultation and emotional observation

• 🤝 Individual and group counseling

• 🔄 Defusing and debriefing sessions

• 📈 Recovery planning and follow-up

• 🧰 Guidance documents, reintegration protocols, and communication tools
  
  

We also maintain a crisis resource hub for districts to access:

• Staff- and family-facing templates

• Grief and trauma support tools

• Reintegration guidance for returning to school

• Connection to regional mental health services

Additional Resources

Youth Development Department Website