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Denise J. Thompson, LISW CPC CCISM

Dir, Resiliency & Peer Support
District 7 Fire & Rescue
Schertz, Texas, United States

Denise J. Thompson, LISW, CPC, CCISM, is the Director, Resiliency & Peer Support and Director,
Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) for Bexar County Emergency Services District 7, San
Antonio, TX. In her current position, Denise provides support to her own Department and to first
responder agencies in a 13-county area. Denise provides in-person and virtual peer support, coordinates
CISM responses, mental health referrals and teaches a variety of courses, including CISM, Mental Health
First Aid, and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST).
Denise received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Wartburg College, Waverly, IA, a Master of
Social Work from Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL and is a trained Certified Professional Coach
through the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching. Denise is a Veteran of the US Air Force and
Air Force Reserve, retiring as a Colonel. In her military positions, Denise was responsible for the
implementation and oversight of the following programs: Suicide and Violence Prevention, Post-Suicide
Review, Critical Incident Stress Management, Operational and Post-deployment Stress and Sexual
Assault Response Program. From 1997 to 2006, she provided oversight and training for over 200 AFRC
personnel, military and civilian, who were part of the AFRC CISM team. Denise deployed to Iraq in 2008
and in 2009 to Kuwait. Denise finished her career as the Mental Health Consultant to the 25th Air Force
Surgeon General, providing resiliency and operational stress management support to Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance personnel. Prior to September 11, 2001, when Denise was mobilized
back to Active Duty, she was a Reserve Medical Officer and in private practice working with adults and
children affected by traumatic events; a contract provider for the Veterans’ Administration, and an
Employee Assistance Program provider for the US Postal Service.
Denise presents on a variety of topics for first responders and civilian personnel regarding suicide
prevention, intervention and postvention, workplace violence, Critical Incident Stress Management,
combat/operational stress management, post-traumatic stress disorder, and sexual assault prevention and
response. She teaches several International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) courses, is on the
ICISF faculty and co-authored the ICISF Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention course.
Denise has provided crisis intervention and organizational consultation following airplane and helicopter
crashes, homicides, suicides, line-of-duty deaths, manmade and natural disasters, robberies, and combat.

Presentation(s):