CISM Training 2026
Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Certification in Canada
Recognized and approved by the
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF)
We are offering two upcoming ICISF-approved CISM Training sessions online in 2026, on April 20–21 and October 19–20.
Group Crisis Intervention – 2 Days
April 20–21, 2026
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM ET
Online via Zoom
Assisting Individuals in Crisis – 2 Days
October 19–20, 2026
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM ET
Online via Zoom
CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT (CISM)
Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) is the standard of care in public safety organizations across Ontario and Canada.
This training consists of two core courses, Assisting Individuals in Crisis and Group Crisis Intervention, designed to teach essential CISM techniques through instruction and practical group exercises.
Participants will develop the skills to reduce acute stress, provide effective support, and make appropriate referrals.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
This training is designed for:
- First responders (police, fire, EMS, corrections)
- Peer support teams
- Crisis response teams
- Mental health professionals and healthcare providers
- Human resources and workplace wellness leaders
These courses are designed to enhance crisis response skills and support the mental health of those working in high-stress operational environments. No prior CISM training is required.
COST & REGISTRATION DETAILS
The cost per attendee is $350 + HST ($395.50 total) per 2-day course, which includes an e-book and certificate(s) of completion. If you would like to register for both courses, you may do so for $685 + HST ($774.05 total).
You must complete the course(s) to receive ICISF certificates. Space is limited, and registration is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Once capacity is reached, additional applicants will be placed on a waiting list.
To ensure fairness, registrants are responsible for the full course fee even if unable to attend. The only exception is where the course has not yet started, and a substitute participant is provided.
INSTRUCTOR
The course will be delivered by Andrea Castillo-Perez, a Registered Nurse and Registered Psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience in healthcare. She provides trauma-informed mental health support to individuals and groups, with a particular focus on first responders, front-line professionals, and those impacted by trauma.
Andrea is an ICISF Approved Instructor (CCISM) and is certified in EMDR. She combines clinical expertise with a compassionate, holistic approach rooted in both medical and psychotherapy principles.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
1. GROUP CRISIS INTERVENTION - 2 DAYS
Designed to present the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multi-component crisis intervention curriculum, the Group Crisis Intervention course will prepare participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services.
Fundamentals of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) will be outlined and participants will leave with the knowledge and tools to provide several group crisis
interventions, specifically demobilizations, defusings and the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). The need for appropriate follow-up services and referrals when necessary will also be discussed.
Program Highlights:
- Relevant research findings
- Relevant recommendations for practice
- Incident assessment
- Strategic intervention planning
- “Resistance, resilience, recovery” continuum
- Large group crisis interventions
- Small group crisis interventions
- Adverse outcomes associated with crisis intervention
- Reducing risks
- Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)
2. ASSISTING INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS - 2 DAYS
This program is designed to teach participants the fundamentals of, and a specific protocol for, individual crisis intervention.
Crisis intervention is NOT psychotherapy; rather, it is a specialized acute emergency mental health intervention which requires specialized training. As physical first aid is to surgery, crisis intervention is to psychotherapy. Crisis intervention is sometimes called “emotional first aid”.
Program Highlights:
- Psychological crisis and psychological crisis intervention
- Resistance, resiliency, recovery continuum
- Critical incident stress management
- Evidence-based practice
- Basic crisis communication techniques
- Common psychological and behavioural crisis reactions
- Putative and empirically-derived mechanisms
- SAFER-Revised model
- Suicide intervention
- Risks of iatrogenic “harm”
UPCOMING TRAINING & PARTICIPATION DETAILS
We are pleased to offer these 2 upcoming sessions in 2026 online via Zoom for accessibility and convenience.
If you have 20 or more participants interested in in-person training, please contact us directly to discuss options.
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN CISM TRAINING
Please fill out the form below:
📞 QUESTIONS? Call us at 226-246-4669 or email us at [email protected]