Critical Incident Debrief Response to the 2023 Michigan State University Campus Mass Shooting
In 2023, a mass shooting on the campus of Michigan State University resulted in the deaths of three students and injuries to five others. In the immediate aftermath, the Michigan State Police Office of Behavioral Science facilitated recurring critical incident debriefings over three consecutive days for the four responding law enforcement agencies. This presentation, led by the police psychologists who coordinated and conducted these debriefings, will explore both the logistical and clinical considerations involved in delivering large-scale psychological support to first responders following a mass casualty event. The session will serve as a blueprint for agencies seeking to implement effective mental health interventions in the wake of traumatic incidents.
- Upon completion, attendees will be able to identify the key logistical and clinical considerations involved in planning and facilitating critical incident debriefings for law enforcement following a mass casualty event.
- Upon completion, attendees will be able to apply lessons learned and best practices to develop a framework for coordinating psychological support for first responders in future large-scale traumatic incidents.
- Upon completion, attendees will be able to gain insight into best practices for planning, executing, and adapting critical incident debriefings under high-stress, rapidly evolving circumstances.
Ashley Kierpaul
Sergeant
Michigan State Police
Sergeant Ashley Kierpaul has served at the Michigan State Police (MSP) since 2016. She is currently assigned as a police psychologist for MSP’s Office of Behavioral Science. Here, Sergeant Kierpaul provides psychological services for department members, including individual, group, and couples therapy, critical incident debriefs, psychoeducation classes, and psychological assessments for incoming recruits. She also serves first responders and veterans outside of the agency through private practice work.
Sergeant Kierpaul received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Michigan State University. She received her master’s degree in clinical psychology and her clinical license through the Michigan School of Psychology, where she received the Conceptual Research Award at the school’s 2021 research symposium for her group therapy proposal for first responders.
Prior to her current assignment, Sergeant Kierpaul was assigned as a trooper to the Houghton Lake and Brighton Posts. In 2019, she received the Samuel L. Mapes Award after leading her worksite with the most investigative felony arrests. She was promoted to the Recruiting and Selection Section after she revived MSP’s youth explorer programs. In 2022, MSP acknowledged Sergeant Kierpaul’s work through a Professional Excellence Award after she established explorer programs at eight posts across Michigan. Sergeant Kierpaul also served as a military police lieutenant in the Michigan Army National Guard, where she received an Army Achievement Medal in 2021 for her work at the Vibrant Response multi-state disaster training exercise.
Sergeant Kierpaul’s research interests include developing and evaluating treatment modalities for first responders and veterans to combat the cumulative effects of trauma and stress accumulated their career. Sergeant Kierpaul’s current focus is on implementing group therapy programs that both resonate with this population and are effective at reducing psychological symptoms associated with the work.
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