Postvention Planning

Postvention Planning and CISM & RESTORE Team at Northern Michigan University

At Northern Michigan University (NMU), we are committed to supporting the wellbeing of our campus community, especially after difficult and traumatic events. Because of this, we have created protocols and procedures that are part of a coordinated response. Below is a detailed description of those protocols and procedures.

Postvention is a word often used in conversations about campus wellbeing. Postvention refers to the coordinated actions the university community takes after a loss or traumatic event to support healing, reduce the risk of further harm including trauma, and care for members of our community who may be affected. Our goal in postvention planning is to provide direction and offer a supportive environment where students, faculty, and staff feel cared for and connected to resources and each other.

Postvention planning includes providing resources, communicating accurate and compassionate information, providing additional support to groups who may be impacted such as classmates, colleagues, faculty and staff, and working together to support the campus community to process grief in healthy ways. These plans are developed in advance so that if a situation occurs, the university campus can respond quickly, thoughtfully, and with care for everyone involved.

Critical Incident Stress Management

As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen postvention planning and care, NMU has established a team of individuals consisting of faculty and staff who are trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM).

Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) is a structured, evidence-informed approach designed to support groups and individuals as they process and heal after experiencing or being exposed to a critical incident. Critical incidents can include sudden loss, medical emergencies, accidents, acts of violence, or other events that significantly affect members of the campus community. One early component of CISM is known as a Critical Management Briefing (CMB). This briefing is typically provided to all of campus via a written communication and/or in-person meeting. The purpose is to share timely, available information about a critical incident. The CMB may be high level, as NMU will always prioritize and respect the needs, wishes, and communications with the family in cases where an NMU student or employee is involved in a crisis situation. This is why we discourage speculation and the use of social media as the source and spread of information.

RESTORE Team

CISM also focuses on early support and stabilization. It provides opportunities for individuals to talk about their experiences, understand common stress reactions, and learn healthy coping strategies. The goal is not therapy or investigation. It is to offer immediate, supportive resources that help individuals begin the recovery process and connect with additional help if needed.

To support this effort, NMU has created the RESTORE Team, a group of over twenty-five trained staff and faculty members across Academic Affairs, Dean of Students office, Housing and Residential Life, Athletics, Recreational Sports, Human Resources, the Counseling Center, the Office of Opportunity, Empowerment & People, the Wellbeing/CARE Management department, and the NMU Police Department who have completed specialized CISM training. RESTORE is part of NMU’s broader Postvention Planning Team and stands for Respond, Educate & Support with Trauma-Informed Outreach to create Resilience.

While the two teams work toward the same end goal, they play different roles at different points of the support process. The Postvention Planning Team discusses and plans protocols, procedures and guidelines prior to any actual traumatic experiences on campus. The RESTORE Team (some who serve on the Postvention Planning Team and some who do not, but all trained in CISM) puts the Postvention Planning Team’s work into action following an actual traumatic situation.

The RESTORE team is led by the Assistant Vice President for Holistic Wellbeing, and members can provide supportive interventions such as:

Facilitated group and individual discussions following a critical incident
Opportunities for individuals or groups to share experiences and reactions in a supportive environment
Education about common stress responses and coping strategies
Guidance on accessing support resources

RESTORE team members work collaboratively with existing campus resources and leadership to ensure support is delivered in a coordinated, compassionate, and timely manner.

Participation in CISM related sessions facilitated by the RESTORE Team is voluntary and focused on support. These sessions are intended to create a safe space where individuals can talk about their experience of the event, learn from one another, and identify next steps for wellbeing.

The creation of the RESTORE Team reflects NMU’s ongoing commitment to caring for the people who make up our campus community. By incorporating CISM into our postvention planning efforts, the university aims to ensure that students, faculty, and staff have access to compassionate support during challenging times. If a critical incident occurs, information about RESTORE support sessions and additional resources will be shared with the affected community.