Information sessions presented jointly with the organizations involved are intended for the whole community. They consist of providing general information and dealing briefly with the current difficulties, the reactions that may be shown by the victims, services available, and the problems typically associated with returning to normal life. The activities suggested for information sessions are all optional. None are mandatory, neither for the disaster victims nor for the members of their families or witnesses of the event.

During these information sessions, the following messages are among those given with regard to physical and emotional reactions:

the physical and emotional symptoms are part of a stress reaction and are considered normal;

these symptoms occur in most people in a situation of stress, threat or loss. They are primitive reactions of the mind and body, and their purpose is to help the individual survive;

stress syndromes, although normal, can, however, present health risks if they persist, since they rob people of energy and make them vulnerable to illness. In some cases, they can even have repercussions on a person's whole life;

there are many ways of dealing with stress reactions, such as surrounding oneself with people one feels good with and with whom it is easy to talk about what one is experiencing, doing vigorous physical exercise, or using relaxation techniques.

the most effective way of relieving stress reaction syndrome is verbalization sessions on the event.

Each organization should have some means of monitoring individuals' recovery from traumatic events or incidents. This may take place as a routine follow-up meeting (group or individual) with the debriefing facilitator, a meeting between supervisor and employee, or a routine medical check with the employee health nurse or physician. The purpose of the follow-up is to allow the worker further opportunity to talk about feelings about the incident. It is also to assess with the individual whether the symptoms are diminishing. A good time to do a routine follow-up is about a month to 6 weeks following the event.

If workers are still having difficulties with stress symptoms at that time, a routine referral to a mental health counselor should be suggested. The organization should have a pre-established plan for referrals to counselors who are knowledgeable or specialize in working with emergency service personnel. Fee arrangements should be pre-established. The ideal arrangement is for mental health services to be available to emergency workers through their prepaid employee health plan or EAP. Many plans do not provide this coverage. Personnel are often angry if they find they must pay for counseling out of their own pocket when the trauma was a work-related event. This can produce a real barrier to personnel obtaining the services they need to remain functional and productive on the job.

Sometimes workers are unfamiliar with the process of counseling and what it entails and are therefore reluctant to seek help. They should know that most counselors prefer to work with emergency workers in a short-term, active approach. Counselors often use specific techniques which are aimed at symptom reduction. They usually do not use long-term, psychoanalytic approaches. Occasionally, depending on the nature of the problem, marital or family therapy may be suggested.

Counseling should be offered to individuals who were unable to attend a verbalization session or debriefing. Counseling can also be offered to people who feel a need for individual help or for longer term help in a group.

This type of intervention usually consists of two or three meetings during which the counselor pursues the same objectives as during the verbalization session. In terms of the content, essentially the same techniques developed in the Mitchell Model seem to be effective. The major difference is that they are spread out over time rather than being concentrated in a single session.