• Manager of Consultant Relations and Training, Crisis Care Network, Grand Rapids, MI
• CEO Kantu Consultants, Grand Rapids, MI www.Kantu.org

Dennis Potter is a licensed social worker who helped to form
one of the first community-based Crisis Response Teams in Michigan. Dennis was
also one of the founding members of the Mid-West Michigan CISM Team and the
Michigan Crisis Response Association. Dennis is recognized at the highest level
of Expert by the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.

Since 1989, Dennis has helped to train many of the Critical Incident Response
teams in Michigan and frequently is called upon for consultation after particularly
difficult events. Dennis was the mental health professional for one of the
ICISF teams responding to the NYPD after the attacks on the World Trade Center.

Through his association with these teams, Dennis has conducted or consulted on
all manner of traumatic events for communities, businesses, schools, police,
fire and emergency services personnel, the U. S. Post Office, and community
mental health agencies.

Dennis has presented at many local, state, regional, national and international
conferences. He has been a presenter at the last nine International Critical
Incident Stress Foundation World Congresses. Dennis was awarded the ICISF
Excellence in Training and Education Award at the 2011 World Congress.

He has written articles for various journals on the topic of working with
Critical Incident Stress. Dennis coauthored the model for Post Action Staff
Support PASS which is featured in the ICISF Advanced Training Workbook. Dennis
is also a co-author of the book "Practical Concepts and Training exercises For
Crisis Response Teams".

WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS AND SEMINAR TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS

Critical Incident Response in The Workplace
When a civilian workplace is struck by a robbery, a death of an employee,
downsizing, or other traumatic event, it takes a specialized approach to work
with the organization and its employees to return to work and to return to
life. The reactions that employees may be having are often expected reactions
to an unusual event, but they are no less disturbing to the person.
This workshop prepares a clinician for organizing and providing an appropriate
response to the organization and its employees. It is interactive and
instructive.

Building Skills for Crisis Intervention Teams
The Building Skills for Crisis Intervention Teams training program has been
designed to provide participants with direct application and practice of skills
for crisis intervention techniques. The program emphasizes a broadening of the
knowledge base concerning critical incident stress interventions as well as the
practice of each application. Upon completion, participants will be able to:
Demonstrate skills in organizing appropriate Critical Incident responses and
conducting Crisis Management Briefings;
Participate as both a team member and a participant of an event;
Identify and plan appropriate Intervention activities for a variety of
incidents;
demonstrate an understanding of Critical Incident Response to the workplace
principles.
This program has been developed for Employee Assistance Programs, human
resources staff, public safety personnel, mental health professionals,
chaplains, paramedics, firefighters, physicians, police officers, nurses,
dispatchers, airline personnel and disaster workers to increase mastery and
confidence in the skills learned during the CISM: Group Intervention CISM:
Individual Crisis Intervention, CISM: Advanced Crisis Intervention, and
Strategic Response to Crisis courses. It will also be useful for those who are
working extensively with traumatized victims from various walks of life.

CISM: Group Crisis Intervention
The CISM: Group Crisis Intervention training program is designed to present the
core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multicomponent crisis
intervention curriculum. The two day course prepares participants to understand
a wide range of crisis intervention services including pre and post incident
crisis education, significant other support services, on-scene support
services, crisis intervention for individuals, demobilizations, small group
defusings and the group intervention known as Critical Incident Stress
Debriefing (CISD). The need for appropriate follow up services and referrals
when necessary is also described. Considerable evidence gathered to date
strongly supports the multicomponent crisis intervention strategy, which is
discussed in this course.
At the completion of this course, participants will be able to: Define Critical
Incident Stress and PTSD; List the 10 basic interventions of CISM; and Define
and describe in detail the CISM group processes of Crisis Management Briefings,
Demobilizations, Defusings, and CISDs.

PAST ORGANIZATIONAL CONSULTATIONS, TRAINING AND INTERVIEWS

Crisis Care Network

International Critical Incident Stress Foundation

Michigan Crisis Response Association

MidWest Michigan CISM Team

Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards

Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority

Genesee County Community Mental Health Authority

Network180

Bay Arenac Intermediate School District

Grand Rapids Publis Schools

Bay County Community Mental Health Authority

Spectrum Medical Group

DeVos Children's Hospital

NASW of Michigan

State of Michigan; Forensic Center

State of Michigan Traumatic Response Team

Women's Crisis Center, Riga, Latvia

Danish Army Command, Copenhagen, Denmark

Ontario CISM Team, Canada

PESI Training Company

Nova Scotia Department of Corrections

State of Louisiana Department of Corrections

State of Michigan Kalamazoo Regional Psychiatric Hospital

Pine Rest Christian Hospital

Advent Hospital System; Chicago IL

Methodist Hospital System

Catholic Charities

Project Help

Substance Abuse Conference Michigan

Employee Assistance Center

US Coast Guard