Category: Front Page Blog

SSS Joins ‘National Suicide Prevention Alliance’ to help prevent suicides amongst military and emergency service personnel

Written by socialsupport on January 11, 2018. Posted in Front Page Blog. No Comments on SSS Joins ‘National Suicide Prevention Alliance’ to help prevent suicides amongst military and emergency service personnel

I’m very excited, because this week, Social Support Systems became a member of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA).

It seems that almost every week, there is news in the media of another soldier, paramedic, police officer or fire-fighter who has taken their own life – it is incredibly sad, and I believe that Social Support Systems (SSS) can have a great impact upon reducing the amount of suicides in the UK.

Business continuity, trauma, and recognising the new threat…

Written by socialsupport on September 19, 2017. Posted in Front Page Blog, Latest. No Comments on Business continuity, trauma, and recognising the new threat…

Many of us are familiar with ‘business continuity’ – threat analysis, business impact analysis, solution design (and testing) are now considered key to maintaining systems and services during periods of high threat such as spate conditions, direct, or indirect attack or strain.

Quite how these concepts transpose into the realm of mental health, however, is seemingly a mystery for many organisations.

Let’s consider for a moment some key components of a robust & systematic psychological continuity strategy that would enable your organisation to function effectively through, and in the aftermath of a critical Incident:

Away to Belfast! UKPTS 9th Annual Conference 2017

Written by socialsupport on March 19, 2017. Posted in Front Page Blog.

This coming Tuesday 21st of March 2017 sees Dr John Durkin of Social Support Systems CIC speaking at the 9th annual conference of the United Kingdom Psychological Trauma Society (UKPTS), being held in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The UKPTS organisational aims are:

To provide a forum for multi-disciplinary professionals working in the field of psychotrauma to share ideas and knowledge relevant to their work in the field
To provide considered, and evidence based, comment on psychological trauma on behalf of the membership in order to aid those who might be affected by traumatic events

Social Support – Wars apart, generations apart, soldiers will always be soldiers…

Written by socialsupport on March 17, 2017. Posted in Front Page Blog.

What do you say to a D-Day veteran, who landed during the first wave on ‘Sword’ beach, when he asks you, somewhat shyly, for help?

‘Course Bert – what’s up mate?’

‘Well, I don’t like admitting it, but I’m starting to struggle a little…’

The man before me is slight, 94 years old, and one would assume given his heroic reputation, and his ‘Légion d’honneur’, that he would still remain fearsome despite his years.

EVIDENCE-BASED CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS DEBRIEFING: APPROACHING A MILESTONE?

Written by socialsupport on December 8, 2016. Posted in Front Page Blog.

By John Durkin Ph.D. – ICISF Member and Approved Instructor

As published in LifeNet, members’ newsletter of ICISF in June 2016

By the time you read this article I hope there has been a positive shift in the clinical reputation of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) because it may now be recognized as ‘evidence-based’ standing alongside psychological trauma therapies. As an article written by a practitioner based in the UK you might wonder how this possibility came about. Here is what went before…