Emergency services and counselors are asked to respond to natural and man-made disasters and human-perpetrated violence. These latter requests may involve critical incidents such as street crime, domestic violence, workplace violence, psychosis, substances use, and youth violence. This two-day course focuses on enhancing safety and survival when providing care in these situations. The course presents what is known about these types of violence and the settings where they occur so that personnel onsite have a better understanding of what has happened and how to provide care safely in these circumstances. The course will focus on the theories of violence; violent acts in the home, the community, and the workplace; and issues associated with youth violence. Since not all human violence is preventable, the course will include a short overview of psychological trauma and CISM interventions to address the needs of victims in the aftermath of these violent acts at the hands of others. The problem of evil will be a central focus of the course.

This course is a companion course to Behavioral Emergencies: Survival Strategies for Emergency Services and Counselors. Having learned why patients become violent, the companion course focuses on specific strategies for safety, including scene surveillance, self-defense strategies, and self-care skills. Neither course is a prerequisite for the other but together provide a well-rounded approach for providing safe and secure care. (13 Contact Hours; 13 CE Credits for Psychologists; 13 PDHs for EAPs; 13 CE Hours for Calif. MFTs & LCSWs;13 Contact Hours for National Certified Addiction Counselors; 15 CCEs from APC; OR 1.3 general CEUs from UMBC)*

Completion of “Understanding Human Violence: Survival Information for Emergency Services and Counselors” and receipt of a certificate indicating full attendance (13 Contact Hours) qualifies as a class in ICISF’s Certificate of Specialized Training Program.

Day 1:(8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

• The Nature and Extent of Violence
• The Theories of Violence
• Violence in the Community
• Violence in the Workplace

Day 2:(8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

• Violence in the Home
• Youth Violence
• Psychological Trauma and the Problem of Evil
• CISM Interventions