Webinar- Crisis De-escalation for Police Communicators Part 1

This two-part webinar series is designed to assist police communicators understand and deal with individuals who are suffering mental illness or in a state of crisis. Communicators play an important role as first responders and this course will allow them to gain an understanding of their own critical roles and responsibilities and become part of the communal team effort and effective resolution of critical incidents.

This course is taught by a former Canadian senior police officer of 32 years’ service who is an experienced Critical Incident Commander & Tactical Commander, who has over 20 years’ experience as a Crisis / Hostage Negotiator and is an experienced trainer in Critical Incident Management Techniques, Crisis Negotiations and Incident Command.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will learn that crisis intervention strategies like those used by Crisis Negotiators during a potential high risk incident that may aid in stabilizing the situation. Verbal de-escalation techniques will be studied that may reduce the immediacy of the threat so that more time, options, and resources can be called upon to resolve the situation.

Attendees will learn many of the same skills Crisis Negotiators use to de-escalate, build rapport, and move the subject in agitation/crisis towards rational communication that benefits everyone involved. This course will review the concepts and techniques of crisis negotiations and subject assessment, suicide intervention and communicating with subjects suffering from mental illness and in a state of crisis.

Attendees will also learn how to become more effective listeners which in turn will make individuals better customer service providers and overall better communicators. The training will aid in the reduction of high risk situations and incidents of escalating violence which may, in some instances, reduce the need for use of force interventions. Attendees will learn the difference between tactical and crisis communications and the need to gather and communicate critical information while employing crisis de-escalation techniques.

Upon completion participants will be able to:

• Understand the escalation and crisis cycle including the neurobiology of trauma
• Understand the impact of trauma on the brain and how it affects behavior in a critical incident
• Understand what happens physiologically and psychologically when subjects are agitated or in crisis
• Understand basic terminology and the signs and symptoms of common mental illnesses
• Implement techniques that are effective in getting the subject to think and act rationally
• Know how to develop and maintain rapport
• Employ active listening skills to deescalate the subject and work towards gaining compliance
• Move beyond basic verbal commands and questions to actual problem solving dialogue with persons in crisis
• Understand the steps needed to effect behavioral change
• Understand the benefits of listening and letting the subject “Tell their story”
• Employ basic Crisis Negotiation techniques to communicate with a person who is threatening to harm themselves or others
• Understand the potential benefits of slowing things down and using time to de-escalate