Emergency response procedure (ERP)Summary sheet:  Emergency response procedure (ERP) (Luber)

The Emergency Response Procedure (ERP) was initially developed to help victims within hours of a terrorist attack, but can be applied in the minutes and hours following any trauma. Often, at that time, the patient has dificulty in orienting to the present after having experienced danger to self, family, or friends. When the clinician reorients a person to their present state of safety with ERP, he is assisting in a crucial task of adaptation by helping the victim’s brain to understand that the danger has passed and the person is safe in the present.

The goal of ERP is to support patients in recognizing that they are “safe now” from the trauma that has just occurred. The incident is in the past and they can resume a present time orientation, as evidenced by calmer behavior and the ability to communicate verbally. If patients remain nonverbal, further intervention (including additional ERP) is immediately indicated.

The Emergency Response Procedure is versatile and has been utilized in the following locations and situations: disasters, death of a loved one, and in ambulances be used as an interweave, to return them to a sense of present-time safety

Book Section

English

Gary Quinn

Quinn, G. (2015). Emergency response procedure (ERP). In M. Luber's (Ed.), EMDR therapy and emergency response: Models, scripted protocols, and summary sheets for mental health interventions (pp. 3-12). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co