CIRT is a crisis intervention team, a group of dedicated volunteers who have undergone a two-day intensive training session during the Memphis convention in June. We are not professional counselors, but we are a peer support network.
All of us are working photojournalists -- most are in print but several are in television -- and, as such, have experienced similar situations in our work. We are trained to listen, to give information on emotional responses to traumatic incidents, and to find and give referrals (if necessary) to specialists in trauma therapy around the world through Newscoverage Unlimited and the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies.
Anyone needing to talk about disturbing, traumatic experiences encountered while on the job can contact any of the individuals on our volunteers list, either by phone or by email. This not only includes the recent events in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania, but also other more common events such as auto accidents, fires, etc.
Our services are completely free. Your identity, if you want to give it, and what you share with any of us will be held in the strictest confidence.
