Alex

This is a very cool slogan that makes you believe the company is delivering a superior high quality product, doesn’t it? (try our cpi certificate or our crisis intervention training) After all, they have to answer to a higher authority, so they must be good at what they do. You, also, have to answer to a higher authority. Your supervisor. When you go to work, think about your supervisor standing right there in the room with you. No matter what you’re doing, no matter what you’re saying to an individual, no matter where you are, imagine your boss is in there [...]

Did you know that the number 57 in Heinz 57 has no real meaning at all? (try our cpi certificate or our crisis intervention training) I used to think it meant the company had 57 different products, but that’s not so. When the Heinz 57 catch phrase was developed, the company already had over 60 products! John Heinz just thought the number 57 sounded good. It was catchy and got attention. In crisis de-escalation, the number 57 might represent the number of different ways you can approach a particular situation. In other words, the method of de-escalation that you use today, [...]

One of the verbal intervention techniques we talk about in CCG training is the concept of “If this, then that.” (try our cpi certificate or our crisis intervention training) It simply means that should I find myself in a situation where I’m telling somebody, “If you don’t stop this, then that is going to happen,” I need to shut my mouth right then and there. More often than not, when you propose a direction, or an order in that phrasing, it sounds like nothing more than a threat. “If you don’t stop jumping on the couch, I’m going to drop your [...]

I think we’d agree that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect. (try our cpi certificate or our crisis intervention training) When somebody goes into crisis does that right disappear? Do they forfeit that right? Absolutely not. Just because someone’s is not treating you respectfully as a responder, doesn’t mean you get to dish it out in kind. One of the hardest things to remember in the de-escalation process is that, when someone is making a personal attack or a verbal assault on your character, it is not the time to give them a little taste of [...]

During all CCG training sessions we talk about certain rights afforded to individuals in crisis. (try our cpi certificate or our crisis intervention training) One of the most important is the right to personal space. People in crisis have the right to their own personal space. You, too, have the right to personal space. You are a first responder, and no matter what role you play in a crisis, you have a right to be safe in your space. What that space encompasses depends on your comfort level. It might be arms reach, it may be 5-6 feet, it may even [...]

Are you burnt? Are you burned out on the job? (try our cpi certificate or our crisis intervention training)Are you what we call in the Law Enforcement world “R.O.D”, or “Retired on Duty?” Becoming burned out is one of the most detrimental things that can happen to someone who is working with people in crisis situations. We’ve all seen it. You may have experienced it for yourself at some point. There is nothing worse than watching a coworker who becomes burned out. They get to the point where they are so dissatisfied, disheartened, and disgusted with the workplace environment, their supervisors, [...]

How important is it to come to work healthy? (try our cpi certificate or our crisis intervention training) Do you always come to work healthy? Do you know coworkers who show up to work when they’re sick? For whatever reason most of us don’t take our sick days. That said, yuou probably know a few staff members who have no problem taking every sick day possible, but you aren’t one of them. Most of us have a good work ethic. We don’t enjoy calling in sick, and we almost feel bad when we have to do so. Here’s the thing to [...]

Crisis situations don’t happen all by themselves, or in a vacuum. (try our cpi certificate or our crisis intervention training) There are things you might see as precursors to a crisis. Maybe even situations that occur in and around the crisis situation that actually makes it the biggest, most turbulent part of the crisis. The reality is, that when one individual is in crisis, be on the lookout for others who may be affected by that crisis and who may then go into crisis themselves. When I worked on the adolescent unit we would have patients who would superficially cut themselves. [...]

In Step 1 of the five steps of de-escalation, we learned to identify what’s in it for you. (try our cpi certificate or our crisis intervention training) Step 2 is to demonstrate you’re not a threat, followed by step 3, where you find an “in,” and in step 4 we learned to meet a need. That brings us to step 5, where you identify an area where you can find a compromise. Somewhere or something the two of you can work out together to come up with a successful resolution. Of utmost importance is providing that individual with options that work [...]

Step 4 in the five steps of de-escalation, is to “Meet A Need” of an individual in crisis (try our cpi certificate or our crisis intervention training). The trick is in trying to identify that need. You’ve already found an “in,” and have bridged a little bit of a gap. Now you’re trying to identify a need we can meet. To do this we refer to Maslow’s Hierarchy*. Whether or not you’ve heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy before, you may want to take a look at it. Maslow believed there are different levels of human needs, at the base are the physiological [...]

So far, we discussed step one, which is to figure out what’s in it for you and step 2 where you demonstrate you’re not a threat (use our cpi certificate). This is step 3, “Find An In.” In discussing step two I mentioned an individual whose vehicle had gone over the ditch. I tried to demonstrate to him that I wasn’t a threat by covering up my badge and helping him to see me as just another person, and not a police officer. When I had his attention, I was able to take it to the next step. Seeing his vehicle [...]

Step 2 is to demonstrate that you are not a threat (use our cpi certificate). I travel around the country teaching, primarily, law enforcement officers. When I get to this part and tell them, “I want you to demonstrate to the person in crisis that you aren’t a threat, their response is interesting, as you can imagine. Usually, they say something like, “Whoa! Whoa. Wait a minute, Brendan. Time out. They teach us at the academy that you have to go in, take control, own the room, and establish your dominance over everyone and everything there.” They give me this whole [...]