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### **Online De-Escalation Training for Responding to Veterans with PTSD**

April 2020 | Volume 13 | Issue 4

As an increasing number of veterans come home to our  communities deeply troubled by what they experienced in combat situations,  local law enforcement faces some unusual, as well as dangerous, challenges.  

 Though most transition back to civilian life without  serious problems, some vets suffer from overwhelming anger, depression, and other  symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury  (TBI). Suffering from often hidden, but no less painful, wounds to their mental  health, these individuals can become suicidal, even violent. 

#####  Field-Tested Techniques for Officer and Public Safety

Police are usually the first responders to domestic  violence, attempts at suicide, and other situations in which former warriors  can become combative. An effective response requires not only compassion,  understanding, and respect for the service these men and women have given to  our nation, but the use of de-escalation techniques that have proven to work  well with veterans in crisis. 

 To teach these methods to police officers, sheriff’s  deputies, and other first responders, the Law  Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC) of the University of Tennessee’s Institute  for Public Service has developed an online training course called De-escalation  Tactics for Military Veterans with PTSD. 

 Created to provide instruction in field-tested techniques  that work especially well with veterans, who may have difficulty processing  information or suffer from hearing loss as well as mental health issues, the  course provides a comprehensive introduction to the how PTSD affects military  veterans, along with the best approaches for responding to them.  

#####  Immersive, Interactive Scenario Instruction

 Through two scenario-driven modules, participants learn  how to recognize the symptoms and behavior patterns of PTSD at the outset of a  confrontation, as well as verbal and physical de-escalation techniques for  defusing it. 

 In addition to seeing de-escalation methods in realistic video  scenarios in which they themselves can interact, participants also receive  instruction in active listening and  rapport-building techniques, learn what things they should avoid saying, and  learn procedures for maintaining their own safety as well as that of the  veteran and the public at large. 

 Module 1 covers  topics such as the effect of wartime stressors on a veteran’s integration into  civilian life, the effects of multiple deployments, common stress-related  issues, manifestations of PTSD, and the stigma attached to psychological  issues. Module 2 covers active listening techniques, including listening for  hooks, paraphrasing, emotional labeling, mirroring, and summarizing.  

#####  Convenient, Self-paced Training for All First Responders

 At the end of each  video is a Knowledge Check to test and reinforce learning. Also provided is a  list of additional mental health resources for officers to offer veterans in  crisis and their families.

 To make this training  accessible to law enforcement and first responders in communities throughout  our nation, LEIC designed De-Escalation Tactics as an online, self-paced  course. In addition to allowing learners to complete their training on a  schedule convenient to them, it saves the time and money involved in travelling  for classroom instruction.

 The course was  developed by subject matter experts in the field of mental health with guidance  from LEIC training specialists Greg Coker and Emily Miller. A retired  lieutenant of the Knoxville, Tennessee Police Department, Coker served on active  duty in the Military Police Corps of the United States Army before beginning  his law enforcement career. Miller is a Curriculum Development Specialist at the  University of Tennessee who specializes in experiential learning.  

 Through De-Escalation  Tactics training, officers can gain a greater understanding of the mindset of veterans  who suffer from PTSD or traumatic brain injury. They will learn how to approach  these individuals who have served their country with the respect and  consideration they deserve, while also protecting themselves with intervention  techniques that reduce the need to use force, limit potential liability, and  enhance the safety of all involved. 

Emily T. Miller          Curriculum Development Specialist II          UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center

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