It can be easy to know the right steps to take in a calm training environment, so staff members often complete crisis training and pass the knowledge check required to show they understand certain skills. But it’s not always clear whether that knowledge will translate into real-world crises. Measuring training de-escalation effectiveness means looking beyond … Read more
Conflict is sometimes inevitable at work, but what begins as a tense exchange can also escalate quickly (Adham, 2023). Organizations that handle these situations well know how to slow a potentially dangerous situation down before it reaches boiling point. De-escalation training for HR can help you and your company build new capabilities. For HR teams … Read more
A school crisis response plan gives employees a framework for how a school identifies, responds to, and recovers from a crisis. It defines roles and outlines procedures, establishing protocols that keep everyone safe when something goes wrong (Office for Victims of Crime, 2003). For school psychologists, crisis response plans are vital for their day-to-day work. … Read more
Choosing a crisis management system is a significant decision for any organization supporting individuals with challenging behaviors. Consider Bright Horizons School. The organization had invested heavily in crisis management training, and every team member—from teachers to aides—completed workshops covering de-escalation, physical holds, and challenging behavior. Yet severe incidents involving elopement, physical aggression, and self-injury continued … Read more
In the pursuit of effective crisis management, organizations can fall into a common trap: choosing systems that look strong on paper but fall short in practice. A program may emphasize important concepts such as compassion and trauma-informed care while also promising quick implementation and straightforward training. These qualities can be appealing, but they do not … Read more
Trained Staff: A Crisis Averted In an elementary school classroom, Mrs. Thompson, a special education teacher trained in crisis management, noticed that Jayden, a typically cheerful student with autism, began tapping his pencil more frequently than usual during a math test. She knew this was a behavior Jayden displayed when feeling anxious. Because she recognized … Read more
Many organizations invest time and resources in crisis intervention training. It gives staff the chance to learn prevention and de-escalation strategies, as well as safety procedures and documentation requirements. But training alone doesn’t guarantee that staff will consistently and appropriately apply what they’ve learned during a crisis. What’s often missing when helping staff feel confident … Read more
A panic attack can look frightening if you’ve never seen one up close. Someone might be shaking and struggling to breathe, which could lead you to believe something is seriously wrong. Your response in the moment can make a significant difference. Panic attack symptoms can develop rapidly, and the people you support might not have … Read more
Group homes can sometimes be challenging. They often bring together people with varying psychiatric conditions, who may have a history of trauma or maltreatment (Seifert et al., 2015). Given such a wide range of challenges, histories, diagnoses, cultures, and personality types, staff often have to manage difficult behaviors and make quick decisions while protecting everyone’s … Read more
Growing evidence from neuroscience research suggests that a teenager’s impulsive or overwhelmed reactions during a crisis often reflect underlying biological processes rather than simply “poor choices.” Adolescent brains process stress differently from adult brains because the areas responsible for logic, planning, decision-making, and emotional control are still developing. This biological reality doesn’t mean teens aren’t … Read more
