Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Negotiation Tips from a Hostage Negotiator

Ninety-five-percent of the time, a task force of heavily guarded and armed officers would be on the scene first, he said, and already had the situation under control. But for the life-threatening five-percent, when a hostage situation could last for a few days, Wagner would often have to build and maintain rapport with a deranged human being.

Read more [HERE].

TED Talk: 5 Ways To Listen Better

This can be useful for all types of negotiators and conflict resolution practitioners.  It's under 8 minutes too.

Enjoy!


Saturday, September 13, 2014

Negotiator not enough to help calm tense situation at home



La Plata County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Nathan Harris drives the department’s new armored vehicle in July. The department says the MaxProV helped save the life Linda Provosty on Thursday.

“The steep terrain and height of the house made it too dangerous for deputies to safely approach in patrol vehicles or on foot,” Bender said. “Using their newly acquired Maximum Protection Vehicle, the (Special Weapons and Tactics) team was able to drive next to the house. 

Read more from DurangoHerald.com [HERE]. 

Saturday, September 6, 2014

In This Corner: You Must Remember This



...You Must Remember This

Lynne Kinnucan

Many of our members have asked about crisis intervention trainings, as well as for tips on how to enter the field.  We hope the following excerpt  -- together with our Recommended Readings section – will be helpful to you.

Our thanks to Dr. Tina Jaeckle of Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, for the following insights and guidance for laypersons wishing to be involved in the field of crisis intervention.
                                                                          
“Although some crisis negotiators can make the [negotiation] process appear seamless, in reality it takes much practice and preparation.

It is important to differentiate the boundaries and responsibilities in the role of the crisis negotiator and those of the mental health professional on a specialty team. Although licensed mental health professionals often have extensive training in managing individual crisis responses, the trained law enforcement negotiator holds sole responsibility for negotiating directly with the subject(s). The crisis negotiator, as a law enforcement officer, has the support and influence of the SWAT team, if the situation escalates to the point of needed physical intervention. Mental health professionals can assist the team much more effectively through the provision of additional trainings and in providing further insight into human behavior.

From the perspective of a non-law enforcement officer, I would like to offer several suggestions which I believe are essential for other mental health professionals interested in providing training and consultation in this field: