On January 22nd the Supportive Housing Learning Network gathered to have a half day training on De-escalation Tactics hosted by Community HousingWorks at their office in Mission Valley. Our presenter was Kindra Moore, LCSW, who is the Program Director of Community Research Foundation’s Downtown IMPACT program. Kindra has extensive experience in communication and de-escalation techniques both in her role overseeing case management services for 360 homeless adults with a serious mental illness as well as individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, and as a trainer in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques.

Training in de-escalation has been one of the most frequently requested trainings for property management staff working in supportive housing. This was a comprehensive training geared towards property management and maintenance staff who find themselves in difficult situations with tenants. The training started off by offering general information about risk factors and precipitants of potentially dangerous behavior. This lead to discussing the different types of communication and examining cultural differences in communication norms. Kindra went on to give examples of behaviors associated with substance abuse or behaviors that are associated with mental health conditions. The impact of trauma and whole person wellness was discussed as well. The importance of assessing a situation as it is occurring and making sure no potential weapons are around and stating what you are doing clearly and calmly is key to de-escalating tense situations.

This training was critical for anyone working in our sector because individuals benefited from learning how to deescalate serious incidents and preventing poor individual outcomes when providing housing or services to those who have experienced trauma or have mental health conditions. All 50 of our attendees left feeling better equipped to serve their communities.