The First Responder Privileged Communication Bill (SB 444) as passed unanimously on February 9, 2016 and was signed
into law by Governor Snyder on Tuesday, March 22, 2016. It was further amended in 2020 to include medical staff along with
first responders.
This legislation legally protects the confidentiality of first responders receiving CISM services from CISM teams. It also
protects the CISM peers/team members that are assisting first responders and medical staff. Click here to download/view the
Michigan law that governs CISM services.
Critical Incident Stress Management
CISM is a comprehensive, integrative, multicomponent crisis
intervention system. CISM is considered comprehensive because it
consists of multiple crisis intervention components, which
functionally span the entire temporal spectrum of a crisis. CISM
interventions range from the pre-crisis phase through the acute
crisis phase, and into the post-crisis phase. CISM is also considered
comprehensive in that it consists of interventions, which may be
applied to individuals, small functional groups, large groups,
families, organizations, and even communities.
The CISM Teams of Michigan
MCRA maintains a current list of associated teams with their
locations across the state. Teams are listed with their contacts,
phone numbers, and email addresses. The list is available
elsewhere on this web site.
Michigan Crisis Response Association, Inc.
MCRA is a voluntary association and therefore we don’t have any offices
or staff. All people involved with MCRA volunteer their time. The best
way to get in touch is to email us at the email address listed.
Team Develpment and Support
MCRA exists to support the development of CISM teams
throughout the State of Michigan by offering training courses,
networking opportunities, and development of standards of
practice for teams throughout the state.
The Standards for Michigan Teams
Teams throughout the state are provided a standard for training
and practice that meets the guidelines as set forth by the
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF). In addition,
MCRA has set forth some “best practices” for Michigan teams to
adopt and utilize.
Michigan Crisis Response Association, Inc.
The Michigan Crisis Response Association (MCRA) is a cooperative effort of crisis response teams throughout the State of Michigan. There are
approximately 56 registered teams in Michigan whose membership is comprised of individuals from law enforcement, fire and emergency medical
services, hospital staff, clergy, educators, and mental health professionals. MCRA and the annual conference provide training for individuals and
team members, further development of new teams, and provide support for established teams. MCRA is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
Michigan Crisis Response Association, Inc. - 2026
The 2027 annual MCRA training
conference will be held September 12-
14, at the Ralph A. MacMullan
Conference Center in Roscommon, MI.
