Course Description: This training provides guidance to staff in terms of enhancing awareness, assessment, and intervention skills necessary for work in the field.  It is intended to enhance staff’s ability to identify potential dangers and minimize risk to the personal safety of both staff and their clients in a variety of settings. This training addresses verbal de-escalation strategies for use in preventing a potentially dangerous situation from escalating into physical confrontation/violence.

Learning Outcomes:  Participants will be able to:
• Describe the “Escalation Cycle”
• Describe the individual’s presentation in the various stages of the cycle
• Describe and implement strategies to de-escalate the individual (and the staff person himself/herself), while maintaining safety for all
• Identify and apply effective skills in communication
• Identify and apply effective strategies in using objects and space to maintain safety, while being mindful of the setting/situation
• Utilize basic, simple physical movements in response to physical contact with or from another person

Length of Training (Hours): 3  

Maximum Number of Participants: 10

Sequence of Learning Activities:
1. Introduction/Overview
2. PowerPoint Presentation
3. Physical Techniques
4. Review
5. Debrief and Feedback