Crisis intervention group work is routinely provided to those that have been exposed to potentially traumatizing events. The Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) has been identified as a standard format for conducting crisis groups, yet the intervention is highly debated in the literature. This article reviews the status of that debate, offers an analysis of the CISD protocols through the lens of group work effectiveness: ASGW's Best Practice Guidelines (2008), and then makes suggestions for the use of group work methodology to enhance the understanding of the benefits and limitations to CISD group work.