Engage or Enrage: De-escalation Strategies for Mental Health Crisis (Part One)-View Presentation

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Video Summary

The webinar titled "Engage or Enrage: De-escalation Strategies for Mental Crisis Part 1" was hosted by Jose Villagre and featured Dr. Mark Fagan and Mr. Brian Bean. The session was designed to educate attendees on effective strategies for de-escalating mental health crises. Participants could earn various professional development credits for attending.<br /><br />The presenters discussed the importance of self-awareness in crisis situations, highlighting the necessity of responding thoughtfully rather than reacting emotionally. They emphasized the need to consider three key questions: what's happening with oneself, what's happening with the person in crisis, and what's happening in the environment.<br /><br />Crises were compared to a volcano with stages like dormancy, venting, fuming, and full-blown explosion, each requiring different intervention levels. Strategies for de-escalation included active listening, utilizing reflective and empathic responses, and being mindful of body language and voice tone.<br /><br />In addressing crises, they advised using supportive strategies like offering assistance, showing sympathetic signals, employing distraction, and appealing to the individual's self-interest. For higher intensity crises, more advanced techniques would be discussed in Part 2 of the series.<br /><br />The Q&A segment covered handling nerves in crises, the effectiveness of de-escalation with practice, using touch in crisis situations, and dealing with multiple people in a crisis. The experts underscored the importance of validating feelings and identifying underlying needs, offering insights into creating a conducive environment for calm and resolution. The next session was scheduled to cover deeper insights and strategies for managing severe crisis situations.

Keywords

de-escalation strategies

mental health crisis

self-awareness

active listening

crisis intervention

professional development

empathic responses

supportive strategies

crisis management

conflict resolution