Crisis responders assist Airmen in stressful situations Published Aug. 7, 2013 By Taylor Lawrence Nucleus staff writer KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- When Team Kirtland people are dealing with the aftermath of a highly stressful or critical event, the base's Traumatic Stress Response team is available and ready to assist. The TSR team, made up of about 20 trained crisis responders from the Mental Health Clinic, the Airman and Family Readiness Center and the Base Chapel, helps active-duty military members, civilians and contractors cope with traumatic events. "It's important for people to know that we provide this service and they don't have to face these situations alone," said Maj. Paul Milazzo, the TSR team chief. "The TSR is a great resource because a lot of times, people don't realize they may not be coping well, or that they even went through a stressful event, especially if it's an everyday part of someone's job." While its goal is to help people cope with traumatic events, the TSR team does not offer therapy, but instead provides what Milazzo called "psychological first aid." "We provide crisis intervention sessions for those seeking one-on-one support," Milazzo said. "After four free, undocumented sessions, we can give people referrals to get the additional support they need." Other services from the TSR team include pre-exposure preparations to brace people for what they may face before going into a high-risk situation, consultations for those needing additional support, on-site briefings, and group educational debriefings. "This is an extremely important program for the Air Force, because we all have a mission to do, and the TSR team is directly related to getting our folks back on their feet so they can function at their best," Milazzo said. The TSR team is available through the Mental Health Clinic at 846-3305 or through the Command Post at 846-3777.