De-escalation Skills

Instructor-led Training

We create experiences that transform the heart, mind, and practice.

About the Academy & APSWI

The Academy is a project of San Diego State’s School of Social Work. Serving over 20,000 health and human services professionals annually, the Academy’s mission is to provide exceptional workforce development and learning experiences for the transformation of individuals, organizations and communities.

APSWI, or Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations, is a training program of the Academy that provides innovative workforce development to APS professionals and their partners.

ACADEMY PROGRAMS

San Diego State University

Purpose of Land Acknowledgement

The purpose of a land acknowledgement is to recognize the relationship of Indigenous peoples to the land. It is multi-faceted in it’s meaning. It shows respect to the people of the land, to the land itself and to their relationship to one another. They are statements that recognize the dispossession from the land, the harm brought by colonial practices, beliefs and policies. They validate and recognize the continued presence of Indigenous peoples everywhere. Lastly, when offered in earnest and with sincerity, they are the first steps in reconciliation and healing.

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For millennia, hundreds of Tribal nations have been a part of this land. This land has nourished, healed, protected, and embraced them for many generations in a relationship of balance and harmony.

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As members of the Academy community, we acknowledge this legacy. We promote this balance and harmony. We find inspiration from this land and it’s original inhabitants of this Nation.

�Making a statement isn’t enough. It is important that we share ways people can take action to support Native American people and land back efforts.

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https://native-land.ca/

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Land Acknowledgement

National Deliveries

Housekeeping & Introductions

• Location of restrooms
• Set cell phones to silent/vibrate
• Schedule
• Please return promptly from breaks and help us keep

to the schedule

• Comfort breaks – please feel free to walk about or stretch throughout the day as needed

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• Materials
• PowerPoint Slides
• Participant Materials

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• Introductions

Learning Objectives

• Identify how an APS professional’s self-awareness and interpersonal relationship skills can prevent a situation from escalating.

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• Identify common activators that contribute to negative reactions and responses.

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• Discuss techniques that can address specific behaviors and ease agitation.

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• Explain signs that a situation may not be safely de-escalated.

Content and Discussions

• APS work is both challenging and rewarding

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• Content may activate feelings

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• Please take care of yourself

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• Case Scenarios may bring up uncomfortable feelings

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• If you feel safe enough, sit with your feelings

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• Exploration of feelings can result in insights, growth and increased resilience.

Poll Activity and Icebreaker Questions

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• Question 1 (Poll Activity)

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• Question 2
• Reflect on a tense situation you were in recently that you were successfully able to diffuse. What did you do?

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The Emotional Dynamics of APS

APS work may not always be received favorably.

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• It involves confronting uncomfortable issues where emotions are heightened.

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• The presence of APS professionals and the issues you explore can activate clients and collaterals, even if pure intentions.

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• This work may also evoke strong feelings within your own self.

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Review of General Safety Practices

• What precautions do you currently take to help ensure your safety?

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• If you’re a supervisor, how do you promote the safety of your staff?

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• What safety protocols do your agencies have in place?

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is defined as “an awareness of one’s own personality or individuality.”

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• Navigating clients’ and alleged perpetrators’ negative reactions requires awareness of our own learned conflict history and emotional triggers.

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• Your level of patience may vary on different days and times—and that is okay! Knowing your limits will keep you from unintentionally escalating in a situation.

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Reflection Activity

• Individual Activity--Activation and Self-Control

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• Take a few moments to reflect on the types of people and/or situations you’ve encountered in the course of your work that immediately caused a strong reaction in you. Write down 2 examples.
• Write down some indicators you noticed and in what ways did you react?

Have a Self-Control Plan

In order to maintain your composure and professionalism even in challenging situations, try the following:

• Deep breathing
• Self-talk
• Pausing, waiting to respond
• Offer to take a break
• Grounding techniques
• “Name it to tame it”

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What is something you’d be willing to try?

Non-Verbal Cues/Communication

Dr. Albert Mehrabian has done extensive research on body language, and he developed the “7-38-55 rule”.

• 7% of our communication is through actual words
• 38% is done through tone of voice
• 55% is conveyed through body language.

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Non-Verbal Cues/Communication—cont.

• Tone of voice
• It’s not what you say, but the way you say it.
• Tone can greatly impact the way a message is received.

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• Body Language
• Be aware of your body language.
• Are your arms crossed? How is your posture or stance?

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• Facial Expressions
• Are you frowning? Is your jaw clenched? Did you narrow or roll your eyes?

Counter-transference

• This is when a therapist or social work professional's reactions and responses to a client are rooted either in a past relationship, experience, or unresolved trauma.

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• The feelings can be positive or negative.

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• Poll Activity

Building Empathy

• Empathy is the unconditional acceptance and understanding of a person's feelings and perspectives. (Dubble, 2025)

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• It’s trusting that this is what they are experiencing and feeling at this moment in time.

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• As an APS professional, it is imperative to remain empathetic, culturally responsive, and trauma informed.

Where might the behavior be coming from?

Being culturally responsive, client centered, and trauma informed

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• Includes acknowledging trauma that many marginalized groups have experienced.

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• Includes negative experiences with government agencies.

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• Some communities have a history of unfair treatment and abuse by institutions of authority.

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• Some clients will perceive your position as having power over them.

Where might the behavior be coming from?

• What are other possible root causes of why clients, alleged abusers, and/or collateral contacts begin to escalate?

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• Individual Activity—Identify Your Root
• In your handout, you will review five situations and rate your emotional reaction, 1 (no reaction) - 4 (I feel angry).
• Why do you think some instances bother you more than others?
• For the things you rated 3 or 4, are you able to identify what it is about them that evokes such a strong reaction in you?

Root Causes and How to Respond

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Behaviors are patterns developed to fulfill needs, whether they are physical or emotional.

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• Certain behaviors serve to either obtain something desirable or avoid something undesirable.

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• It can help when attempting to de-escalate a situation if you can discern the nature of the behavior directed toward you.

Focused Techniques

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• Fear
• Reduce the threat or unknown

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• Frustration
• Active listening and lending control

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• Manipulation
• Detach and redirect

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• Intimidation
• Identify consequences and state your boundaries

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• Hopelessness
• Empower them

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• Loss of Power/Control
• Lend control and provide choices

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• Feeling judged/Defensiveness
• State clearly what your intentions are, and what they are not
• Focus on problem solving

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Additional techniques

• Identify a common goal or interest
• Appeal to their sense of logic or reason, giving them the sense that you are on the same team with the same goal
• Shift the feeling of you vs. them to both of you vs. the issue

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• Demonstrate empathy
• Provides a space to share without feeling judged
• Often an unexpected response, interrupting their expectations and redirects
• Shows compassion, even in disagreements
• Allows for self-reflection

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Effectively Expressing Empathy

Practice:

• Active Listening: Internal, Focus, & Global

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• Reflective Responses

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• Validating Emotions

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• Using “I” statements cautiously

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• Showing Compassion

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• Offer Support

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Avoid:

• Argumentative Statements

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• Judgmental or Blaming Statements

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• “I know how you feel”

Video Activity

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• Managing Conflict and Encouraging Client Engagement

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• Financial Abuse Allegation —

Alleged Perpetrator Interview

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• Large Group Discussion

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• After viewing the videos,

discuss the questions in your

handout.

Case Scenarios

Small Group Activity

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• In your groups, read through the assigned case scenario and discuss the corresponding questions.

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• Please choose a volunteer to record your responses and report out ☺

When You Can’t De-escalate

• After employing all techniques, the person continues their behavior and/or their behavior escalates further.

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• If they threaten you or begin to encroach on your personal space.

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• If they have a weapon.

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• If their current mental/emotional state will not allow them to self-regulate.
• Ex. Someone under the influence of drugs and alcohol, someone who is experiencing a mental/emotional health crisis.

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Additional Scenarios To Consider . .

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• When a client or alleged perpetrator is verbally abusive.

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• When a client or alleged perpetrator makes inappropriate comments that can be considered sexual harassment.

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What to do Afterwards

Your physical, emotional, and psychological safety is paramount!

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• Speak with supervisor/check protocol before conducting visits

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• Inform supervisor immediately and document

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• Peer support

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• Increase positive social interaction

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• Express feelings in safe environment

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• Give yourself compassion

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• Ask for assistance

Key Takeaways

• You set the tone for calm and productive interactions.
• Self-Awareness & having a self-control plan are the first steps to keeping you and others
• Be mindful of your body language, facial expressions, and tone when speaking.
• Remain culturally responsive, trauma informed & sensitive to the emotions that may be causing someone to escalate.
• Expressing empathy is a powerful tool to help de-escalate a situation.
• If you can identify the possible root cause of someone escalating, you can tailor your response to address it.
• Your safety is the number one priority.
• You may encounter some situations that you are unable to de-escalate. When you recognize this, please remove yourself and notify the proper parties.

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P-I-E Wrap Up

• P – Priceless piece of information.
• What has been the most important piece of information to you today?
• I – Item to implement.
• What is something you intend to implement from our time today?
• E – Encouragement I received.
• What is something that I am already doing that I was encouraged to keep on doing?

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Thank You!

We envision a world where �the quality of life for individuals, organizations, and communities �is transformed into a healthier place.