For purposes of this article:
(a)
“Confidential communication” means any information, including written or oral communication, transmitted between an EMS personnel, a peer support team member, or a crisis hotline or crisis referral service staff member while the peer support team member provides peer support services or the crisis hotline or crisis referral service staff member provides crisis services, and in confidence by a means that, as far as the EMS personnel is aware, does not disclose the information to third parties other than those who are present to further the interests of the EMS personnel in the delivery of peer support services or those to whom disclosures are reasonably necessary for the
transmission of the information or an accomplishment of the purposes for which the peer support team member is providing services. “Confidential communication” does not include a communication in which the EMS personnel discloses the commission of a crime or a communication in which the EMS personnel’s intent to defraud or deceive an investigation into a critical incident is revealed.
(b)
“Crisis referral services” include all public or private organizations that provide consultation and treatment resources for personal problems, including mental health issues, chemical dependency, domestic violence, gambling, financial problems, and other personal crises.
(c)
“Critical incident” means an event or situation that involves crisis, disaster, trauma, or emergency.
(d)
“Critical incident stress” means the acute or cumulative psychological stress or trauma that EMS personnel may experience in providing emergency services in response to a critical incident. The stress or trauma is an unusually strong emotional, cognitive, behavioral, or physical reaction that may interfere with normal functioning and could lead to post-traumatic stress injuries, including one or more of the following:
(1)
Physical and emotional illness.
(2)
Failure of usual coping mechanisms.
(3)
Loss of interest in the job or normal life activities.
(4)
Personality changes.
(5)
Loss of ability to function.
(6)
Psychological disruption of personal life, including the person’s relationship with a spouse, child, or friend.
(e)
“EMS” means emergency medical services.
(f)
“EMS personnel” means currently licensed California health care professionals who provide emergency medical care or support providers of emergency medical care, including physicians, physician assistants, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, mobile intensive care nurses, and currently licensed or certified California paramedics and advanced emergency medical technicians, emergency medical technicians,
lifeguards, and emergency medical dispatchers who are not also described in Section 8669.15 or 8669.3.
(g)
“EMS provider” means either of the following, subject to the exclusions in Section 8669.87:
(1)
A local or regional department or agency, or any political subdivision thereof, that employs EMS
personnel or uses volunteer EMS personnel.
(2)
A private entity, including providers contracted with a local or regional department or agency, that employs EMS personnel or uses volunteer EMS personnel.
(h)
“Peer support program” means a program administered by an EMS provider to deliver peer support services to EMS personnel.
(i)
“Peer support services” means authorized peer support services provided by a peer support team member to EMS personnel and their immediate families affected by a critical incident or the cumulative effect of witnessing multiple critical incidents. Peer support services assist
those affected by a critical incident in coping with critical incident stress and mitigating reactions to critical incident stress. Peer support services may include one or more of the following:
(1)
Precrisis education.
(2)
Critical incident stress defusings.
(3)
Critical incident stress debriefings.
(4)
On-scene support services.
(5)
One-on-one support services.
(6)
Consultation.
(7)
Referral services.
(8)
Confidentiality obligations.
(9)
The impact of toxic stress on health and well-being.
(10)
Grief support.
(11)
Substance abuse awareness and approaches.
(12)
Active listening skills.
(j)
“Peer support team” means a response team composed of EMS peer support team members.
(k)
“Peer support team member” means any EMS personnel who has completed a peer support training course or courses pursuant to Section 8669.86. EMS provider selection criteria for peer support team members shall be incorporated into EMS provider
policies.
