The document provides guidance for new hires at a child center on crisis communication and managing difficult situations with clients. It discusses general principles like maintaining self-control and assessing a situation before acting. It also outlines a stress model involving phases from the event to de-escalation. Signs of fear and frustration are identified, as are appropriate response techniques like reducing threats and reassuring without minimizing. A behavior intervention response plan template is presented for documenting incidents.

1. Crisis Communication Macheo Payne Lincoln Child Center 2011 New Hire Orientation

2. Opening 1. When have you lost control of your emotions? 2. How did you cope with it? 3. Do you have any mechanism in place to prevent it from happening again? New Hire Orientation

14. New Hire Orientation BEHAVIOR (strength or hidden strength) Client presented (agitated, calm, cheerful, anxious, frustrated, aggressive, passively, etc.) Client appeared (sad, angry, frustrated, disturbed, depressed, detached, aggressive, passive, etc.) Client interacted (with peers, with staff, verbally, nonverbally, etc.) Client engaged (appropriately, inappropriately, with assignment, with work, with peer, with staff, etc.) Clients demeanor was (withdrawn, defiant, respectful, engaged, absent, etc.) Client showed (focus, frustration, annoyance, ability to focus, lack of ability to focus, ect.) Client arrived (and showed, and began, and presented, and immediately, and slowly, etc.)

15. New Hire Orientation INTERVENTION Staff: responded presented choices presented options reflected client behavior reality tested client encouraged client modeled appropriate response or behavior offered assistance used nonverbal cue used verbal cue redirected interpreted outlined consequences assisted client by refocused client by Reframed calmed client Reiterated Guided walked client through (figuratively walked) gave feedback processed with client Explained Began Assisted Intervened Praised offered choices

16. New Hire Orientation RESPONSE Client: continued or stopped acknowledged or didn’t acknowledge responded or didn’t respond or ignored reflected expressed withheld or allowed withdrew or engaged reisisted or complied opened up or remained closed - processed or had difficulty processing waited or immediately began proceeded with began to appeared to or didn’t appear to requested cooperated or didn’t cooperate needed or didn’t need explained or was unable to explain had difficulty or easily was able or unable

17. New Hire Orientation Plan Staff will - continue to follow up - use a different approach - explore with client - follow up with client , therapist, teacher, staff - brainstorm strategies , techniques - check in with client later in the day - check with staff for a more appropriate/effective intervention - observe client for the rest of the class - find alternative ways to engage client - remind client of the agreements - praise client for improved behavior - talk to parent/teacher/other staff about the incident - continue the conversation at a later time - be available if client wants to talk

18. More Interventions… Staff congratulated client on… Staff commended client for… Staff reminded client about… Staff continued to observe client… Staff summarized main points with client… Staff checked for understanding by asking client… Staff concluded with client.. Staff recapped with client… Staff reflected back to client what they were saying… Staff encouraged client… Staff complimented client… Staff validated client’s feelings… Staff affirmed client’s view… Staff reflected clients perspective… Staff articulated the clients viewpoint or perspective back to client… Staff refocused client on the goal… Staff remained neutral… Staff confronted client about actions… Staff reality tested by restating what happened neutrally… Staff projected a positive outcome for the client… Staff verbalized a positive goal/outcome… Staff found common ground with client… Staff offered opposing perspective of client… Staff countered clients interpretation of what happened… Staff verified clients goal in the interaction… Staff stated the goal of the interaction… Staff built a rapport with client… Staff restated what the client said… Staff repeated what the client said… Staff offered choices/options for the client… Staff reminded client of choices/options… Staff outlined consequences… Staff maintained contact with client… Staff remained in close proximity with client… Staff continued to monitor client… Staff maintained close proximity… Staff left space open for client to respond… Staff established facts… Staff delineated facts from perceptions… Staff separated facts from perceptions… Staff intervened in clients line of reasoning to… Staff restated the goal of the interaction…

19. New Hire Orientation Plan Staff will - continue to follow up - use a different approach - explore with client - follow up with client , therapist, teacher, staff - brainstorm strategies , techniques - check in with client later in the day - check with staff for a more appropriate/effective intervention - observe client for the rest of the class - find alternative ways to engage client - remind client of the agreements - praise client for improved behavior - talk to parent/teacher/other staff about the incident - continue the conversation at a later time - be available if client wants to talk

20. More Interventions… Staff congratulated client on… Staff commended client for… Staff reminded client about… Staff continued to observe client… Staff summarized main points with client… Staff checked for understanding by asking client… Staff concluded with client.. Staff recapped with client… Staff reflected back to client what they were saying…

21. More Interventions… Staff encouraged client… Staff complimented client… Staff validated client’s feelings… Staff affirmed client’s view… Staff reflected clients perspective… Staff articulated the clients viewpoint or perspective back to client… Staff refocused client on the goal… Staff remained neutral… Staff confronted client about actions… Staff reality tested by restating what happened neutrally…

22. More Interventions… Staff projected a positive outcome for the client… Staff verbalized a positive goal/outcome… Staff found common ground with client… Staff offered opposing perspective of client… Staff countered clients interpretation of what happened… Staff verified clients goal in the interaction… Staff stated the goal of the interaction… Staff built a rapport with client… Staff restated what the client said… Staff repeated what the client said… Staff offered choices/options for the client…

23. More Interventions… Staff reminded client of choices/options… Staff outlined consequences… Staff maintained contact with client… Staff remained in close proximity with client… Staff continued to monitor client… Staff maintained close proximity… Staff left space open for client to respond… Staff established facts… Staff delineated facts from perceptions… Staff separated facts from perceptions… Staff intervened in clients line of reasoning to… Staff restated the goal of the interaction…

24. New Hire Orientation Role Play Each person come up with 1 or 2 situations with youth that went bad and were not resolved Role play the situation as it went down: the wrong way Then role play the situation using the strategies to get a different outcome

25. New Hire Orientation Staff Splitting The 5 forms of Staff Splitting: 1. The Direct, Qualitative Compliment 2. The Indirect-Comparison Compliment 3. Role Reversal 4. Student/Staff Camaraderie “Us against “Them” 5. “Mrs. Smith Doesn’t Say Anything When I…”