Greetings!

For its first full year in existence, 2009 has brought significant growth to Ozark Crisis Response. What began as a dream concept between Michael Banes and myself, has led to an opportunity for OCR to flourish as a thriving entity of response, service, and education. All of this has been made possible by Emergency Services leaders in Southwest Missouri who share the common thread of compassion; not only for our exceptional responders who serve those in crisis every day, but al… Continue

Point of Contact

By, Clarke T. Cayton BS, CFT, CFE
Director, Ozark Crisis Response

As Chaplains, we are routinely called upon to respond to scenes where a death has occurred and offer emotional and spiritual support to traumatized and grieving family members. This service requires an incredible amount of observation, sensitivity, and composure. Because of the unique identity that we hold as Chaplains, people in crisis identify us with someone who is safe, compassionate, an… Continue

Traumatic Memory

By, Clarke T. Cayton BS, CFT, CFE
Director, Ozark Crisis Response

“A Traumatic Event is a sudden, often senseless incident that shatters the continuity of life. The cornerstone of trauma is loss.”
- Ellen Kirschman I Love a Firefighter

Psychological Trauma is a condition that occurs when an individual experiences an event that is outside the usual realm of human experience and creates memories that in the immediate aftermath cannot be reconciled wi… Continue

Peer2Peer: Health & Wellness

By, Clarke T. Cayton BS, CFT, CFE
Director, Ozark Crisis Response

What is it about the work of an emergency responder that creates such a tight bond between peers? I suppose most obvious would be the mutually shared experiences of intensity that require dependency be placed upon one another. But other factors as well I believe are at play. There seems to be a common linkage binding most responders together through shared culture, behavior,… Continue

Transference of Grief through Personal Touch

By, Clarke T. Cayton BS, CFT, CFE
Director, Ozark Crisis Response

The night of my 23rd Birthday I was working the night shift on a 14 hour truck for Rural/Metro EMS. My partner and I got a call around 4AM to respond to a residence with an unresponsive female. We were the first unit on scene. My partner and I entered the home and ascended a short stair case to the living room where we found a young woman lying naked on the floor.… Continue

Compassion Fatigue: Serving on Empty

By, Clarke T. Cayton BS, CFT, CFE
Director, Ozark Crisis Response

Caregivers, no matter what discipline, education level, or personality type, are a special brand of people. For most, a career in the service oriented fields is more of an expression, than a job. Primarily due to the fact that built within a majority of these community servants is an innate sense of responsibility to care for the needs of others. It's probably not unreaso… Continue