De-escalating a mental health crisis is a very difficult skill set and starts with the worker calming themselves and maintaining their composure as they move toward the situation. Fear elicits a threat response in both the upset person and the one trying to help. This means that without specific strategies it is common for the worker to inadvertently worsen the situation as they react to the “noise” of the situation.
Talking to upset and dysregulated people and keeping the situation calm is a more important skill set than ever before. There is a high level of anxiety in the current culture so when people are stressed by such things as having to wait, feeling disrespected, or being told things that they don’t want to hear, the likelihood of escalation is high. To keep spaces safe for everyone, effective workers need a toolkit of de-escalation responses that help the upset person self-regulate and move toward problem solving. In workplaces that value equity and inclusion, staff use a trauma-informed, non-punitive approach to managing conflict.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
CONTINUING EDUCATION:
Registrants who fully attend this training will be eligible to receive 2 continuing education (CE) hours certified by the Minnesota Board of Social Work and the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy. CE certificates are provided by People Incorporated Training Institute.
PRESENTER:
Warren Duncan, BS, has had various roles throughout his career working with households experiencing homelessness and multiple barriers to stable housing. He has worked as direct support staff on mobile teams in Permanent Supportive Housing program across the metro area, assisted in outreach efforts for program participants living on the streets and in shelter, provided outreach to property managers and landlords, connecting them to support services in metro and greater Minnesota communities. He has worked to provide support to a network of supportive housing programs and community organizing among County, State, and local community agencies in Southern and Central Minnesota. He is currently overseeing all programming as Program Director for a Minnesota Nonprofit. Warren enjoys facilitating workshops and has led a number of training sessions. Topics include Building Landlord Relationships, Housing First, Harm Reduction, Navigating Conflict, De-escalation, and Mindfulness. Warren grew up in Des Moines, Iowa and moved to Minnesota shortly after graduating from Iowa State University. He currently lives with his family in the Twin Cities western suburbs. He enjoys drawing, painting, and photography in his spare time.
This training is provided by our valued partners at the People Incorporated Training Institute.
The Great Lakes MHTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.
