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

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In the webinar titled "Engage or Enrage? De-escalation Strategies for Mental Health Crisis Part 2," Clinical Director Jose Viruel, alongside presenters Mark Fagan and Brian Bean from Thresholds, delve into techniques for managing high-intensity crisis situations. They emphasize avoiding power struggles through self-awareness and strategic responses, suggesting methods like stepping back, using positive self-talk, and offering choices rather than ultimatums. The focus is on promoting safety, providing reflective responses, and validating the crisis individual’s feelings to prevent escalation into violence. They introduce the "SMARTIE" approach—self-check, making space, and being aware—to maintain calm and effectively engage with those in crisis. Visual and verbal cues, such as body language, reflective listening, and low, slow speech, are critical. The session includes a demonstration of de-escalation techniques in action and addresses audience questions, offering practical advice on implementing these strategies in real-world settings. The presenters highlight the importance of self-regulation for practitioners and invite participants to a follow-up session addressing burnout and well-being. The webinar provides actionable insights into de-escalation, emphasizing the significance of validating and understanding underlying emotions to facilitate effective crisis intervention.

Keywords

de-escalation strategies

mental health crisis

self-awareness

power struggles

SMARTIE approach

reflective responses

crisis intervention

self-regulation

body language

burnout and well-being