College crisis intervention: an initiative to develop regional campus Critical Incident Stress Management teams.

This article presents a statewide initiative that was undertaken to develop regional Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) teams among colleges and universities within a northeastern state. In light of the unique needs and culture of institutions of higher education, this initiative was intended to improve each member college or university's capacity to respond comprehensively and effectively to critical incidents that affect its community. A step-by-step description of the implementation of the initiative is presented as well as discussion of what was learned through the process and future directions.