Crisis Intervention

When faced with a radical crisis, when the old way of being in the world,

of interacting with each other and with the realm of nature doesn't work anymore,

when survival is threatened by seemingly insurmountable problems,

an individual life-form—or a species—will either die and become extinct

or

rise above the limitations of its condition through an evolutionary leap.

—Eckhart Tolle

There are several key parts to understanding why a crisis happens and consequently how to manage it. And there are many methods and paths leading to the goal of supporting or de-escalating someone experiencing crisis to make the world a safer place for everyone. Crisis Intervention Workbook and Curriculum: The EDGE Approach to De-escalation (ISBN: 978-1-893505-81-0), focuses on the behavioral health dynamics of self-regulation, dysregulation and finally, co-regulation.

The EDGE Approach to De-escalation curriculum offers a training that enables a learner to apply for the Certified Crisis Intervention Specialist I or II credential through the National Anger Management Association. The EDGE Approach is unique from other CIT trainings. In addition to having trauma-informed foundations in mental health, neurophysiology, responder wellness, deep examinations of anger and aggression are brought to light and connected to crisis.

Part 1, Dynamics of Self-Regulation, focuses on responder self-regulation and resiliency. It seeks to underscore how the conditions of our own lives as well as our work and family cultures influence us. Part 1 lays out specific ways we can begin to be effectively look at the choices we make every day and begin to see how these choices can effect the outcome of a crisis. It will also be important to understand how our childhood experiences shape our perspective today and how our own flight/ flight/ freeze response can be managed so that we do not escalate a crisis. Part 1 delves deeply in to responder wellness and connects that to the crisis responder's ability to intervene at their highest potential.

Part 2, Dynamics of Dysregulation, offers a trauma‐informed, psychological overview of someone experiencing crisis who is in emotional dysregulation. This section of the EDGE Approach to De-escalation delves in to the background and explores the why some of the most challenging and difficult people you will ever face make the choices they do. What causes a someone in crisis to act out aggressively or even violently when you are trying your best to help and support them? Innovative topic subjects like Attachment Theory and PolyVagal Theory are brought to the world of crisis intervention for the first time.

Part 3, Dynamics of Crisis Co-regulation, will introduce the idea of co-regulation and the therapeutic relationship. Co-regulation principles and techniques will be established to anchor the responder in self-regulation while navigating the person experiencing crisis through emotional dysregulation. In this section, you will learn the EDGE Approach to De-escalation and apply it using hands-on skills, deescalation techniques, and the verbal prompts which will help you successfully navigate a crisis. Part 3 explores topics such as: Interpersonal Neurobiology, reactive vs. receptive states, trauma informed care, attunement, active listening, proxemics, Yield Theory, and more.

Ultimately, the first connection a responder makes with someone experiencing crisis will be start of a relationship whose foundation is de-escalation through co-regulation. Co-regulation is the dynamic piece of the crisis puzzle that pulls the crisis through to a calmer state of coherence. A crisis is a multi‐faceted process. One in which a responder must fully understand who they are, with whom they are connecting and how to form a safe and secure relationship, quickly and under pressure. No one piece alone will solve the puzzle of a crisis. But together, these parts make a whole that provides you with a full, comprehensive approach. A picture that will alter your understanding of a person struggling through a crisis all the way through to creating own life that is dynamic, fun, more fulfilling and deeply engaging...

And then...EDGE. EDGE is a four step verbal language sequence meant to anchor the crisis responder in their own self-regulation to ultimately support a person in crisis.