Why this is important: Having the ability to intervene as a first contact with housing residents who are upset is the most important skill set housing staff can possess. While they have additional duties, the ability to successfully de-escalate a crisis with a resident intersects with a wide range of other training topics. 
 
Description: This micro-learning course offers research-based, practical advice for housing staff to better manage crisis scenarios that develop related to irritability, financial stress, mental illness emergencies, and relationship difficulties. The course draws from the fields of psychology and law enforcement, teaching techniques including motivational interviewing, rapport building, content-process focus, and knowledge of hooks and barbs. Learners will gain a better understanding of how to share the incident with a multidisciplinary CARE team to help prevent future escalations through developing a risk mitigation plan and to ensure crisis d-escalation approaches are aligned with best practices to reduce liability. 
 
Housing staff will be able to:
Identify the physical signs of escalation
Adopt body posture and positioning to increase their safety
Reduce escalations through the use of hooks and barbs
Use tone of voice and focus to redirect escalations
Apply counseling skills such as active listening, summarizing, and paraphrasing to calm those in crisis