1. Crisis Prevention
Intervention Defuses
Potentially Threatening
Situations
By Lisa Polite, Rainbow of Hope

2. Crisis Prevention Intervention Defuses
Potentially Threatening Situations
Non-violent crisis prevention and intervention focus on defusing a
potentially threatening situation before an escalation to aggressive
behavior. People trained in crisis prevention understand the cues that
propel a person in crisis from agitation to violence. They also
recognize behavior issues that may lead to crisis events and can
create effective strategies to prevent potentially dangerous
outcomes.

3. Crisis Prevention Intervention Defuses
Potentially Threatening Situations
Separating the person in crisis from the stress-causing environment
proves a critical step in neutralizing the situation. The person
handling the intervention or prevention can then talk to the personto
learn more about his or her motivations and anticipated reaction to
actions that will be used to restore safety. Such discussion provides
the intervener with necessary information about the crisis and can
divert the person from his immediate feelings of despair, rage, or
grandiosity.

4. Crisis Prevention Intervention Defuses
Potentially Threatening Situations
About Lisa Polite: The Program Manager of Cape Counseling Service’s
Rainbow of Hope PCH in New Jersey, Lisa Polite oversees a
psychiatric community home that serves nine children with varying
behavioral and emotional health conditions. She earned a Master of
Social Work at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. For more
information about Lisa Polite and Rainbow of Hope, visit
CapeCounseling.org.