ACR8 ACR8 ACR Crisis Intervention Section

Do you have a question about crisis intervention work, need to find a resource, information or research in this field, want talk to an expert or just need someone to brainstorm with? "Who Wants to Know?" will contact experts who will work to help you. E-mail your question to Tina Jaeckle at tjaeckle@bellsouth.net. You must be an ACR member to take advantage of this resource.

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The following question and answer series is featured in our September/October newsletter. Because space was limited, we provided abbreviated answers there, and the full text answers here.

Who Wants to Know?

Q: How can I find good trainings in the area of crisis intervention?

A: Dr. James Greenstone invites you to look at www.emotionalfirstaid.com or to call him at 817.882.9415 if you would like to discuss either crisis intervention certification and training or hostage negotiation training. Co-Chair Tina Jaeckle also can provide you with information on board certification in this area, and Crisis & Emergency Consultant with Hammer Gregorian, and Professor of International Relations at American University Dr. Mitch Hammer has several excellent trainings. Dr. Hammer’s web page is http://www.hammerconsulting.org/index.html. Beginning in September, look for more links on the Crisis Intervention web page.

Q: As a Norwegian, and as the chairman of the Norwegian Conflict Resolution Association, I would be curious on a lot of topics with regards to US ways of crisis intervention (if there are general US ways...). For instance, how are urban street gang conflicts handled? Are there ways other than police intervention? Ethnical neighbourhood conflicts (group or individual)? Domestic violence? How are the police trained to handle these?

A: Although there are cases when an individual or individuals try to intervene immediately in a street gang conflict, these are high risk interventions. Some of the most successful approaches begin long before a gang fight breaks out. These approaches usually contain two elements: they are proactive, involving a coordinated effort among members of and organizations within the communities, social service agencies, businesses, schools, churches and law enforcement; they involve a variety of services. such as mentoring, literacy help, and access to support services such as literacy volunteers, safe houses, crisis hotlines, food, medical and job assistance. A two-pronged effort is also in effect: on one hand, months of work go into building trust with both gang leaders and with at-risk youth (those who are not yet in gangs, but are at risk of going into one because an older sibling or friends already are in one); on the other hand, prosecutors make every effort to convict gang members who break the law. In some cases, gang members can be deported. Both individuals and law enforcement have developed some spectacular gang intervention efforts in the United States:

· S.T.R.O.N.G. Youth (Struggling to Reunite our New Generation) was established by former gang member Sergio Argueta. Mr. Argueta, a former gang member, left the gang after a friend was killed, got his degree Criminal Justice and now goes to middle and elementary schools to talk to students and teachers about the risks of gang life and how to stay out of a gang. He also has formed a community advisory group composed of representatives from law enforcement, churches, schools, and community members and agencies. One of the components of the group is a crisis response team that responds immediately to the families (of both the victims and alleged perpetrators) after an incident of gang violence, to offer support and services. The S.T.R.O.N.G. Youth web page is www.strongyouth.org.

· Tookie’s Corner, a web pagecreated by Stan Tookie Williams, founder of the Crips. Mr. Williams, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee who is now on death row, is the author of the famous “Peace Protocol,” created “to address the social state of emergency regarding urban violence --- a comprehensive strategy for peace and reconstruction within the community.” Mr. Williams' web page is www.tookiescorner.com.

Three law enforcement programs that have achieved notable successes are Operation Impact, Operation Cease Fire, and the G.R.E.A.T. program (Gang Resistance Education and Training).

·        Operation Impact uses targeted interventions on those most likely to become the offenders and victims in firearm violence. For one example of this program, go to http://www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/pio/press_releases/2005-06-15_pressrelease.htm.
·        Operation Cease Fire is designed to quickly suppress sudden flare-ups of firearm violence in gang "hot spots," to prioritize prosecutions and to interrupt trafficking in firearms to youth gangs. An example of how this program is working can be found at        http://www.bostonstrategy.com/programs/11_OpCeaseFire.html
·        G.R.E.A.T program police officers present a multi-week program to teachers, students and families on such topics as bullying, myths about gangs, asking for help, communications skills, “G.R.E.A.T.” role models, parenting, etc.   More information on this program can be found at http://www.great-online.org.

Every expert interviewed on the subject of gangs stresses that months of work and clear structure are the essential foundations for any work with gangs. Because of the highly volatile nature of the work, it is important to have a highly structured plan and engage law enforcement and all parts of the community.

Special training for police:

Law enforcement Gang Prevention Training typically includes these elements:

·        Training in identifying gang members
·        Training in criminal investigations

·        Training in handling large-scale disturbances such as riots, large gang fights

·        Members of the Gang Unit attend a monthly "roundtable" with representatives from other units and agencies such as Probation, Sheriffs, Criminal Intelligence and Parole where they officers keep current with what is going on in the local gangs and share intelligence.

Q: What helps you stay alert and sharp during an extremely long intervention? Gregory Vecchi, founding Co-Chair of ACR’s Crisis Intervention Section sent us this:

A: It’s very important for negotiators to take care of themselves. Oftentimes they run themselves ragged because they want to be successful, so it's critical to factor in rest and decompression for negotiators on long jobs:

1. Stick to shifts of no more than 12 hours.

2. Stay away from a lot of sweets and caffeine (donuts and coffee), drink lots of water.

3. Encourage the subject to take breaks so you get a break.

4. Use your time wisely when you have an opportunity to power nap.

5. Factor in "hand offs" which allow you to take breaks with little effect on the progress you have made. This is done by having another negotiator listen to what is going on and then introduce him or her. For example, "Bob (subject), you said you wanted to speak with your brother. I'm going to go work on that while Fred (other negotiator) continues to talk with you. Fred has been listening the whole time so you won't have to repeat what you said to me."

6. Ensure that if there is something major that happens during the negotiation, all negotiators are notified immediately so they feel you haven't forgotten to include them. This builds confidence in the negotiators' belief that they won't "miss anything."

(Editor's note: Speaking of long hours, Constable Rhonda Blackmore, National Crisis Negotiation Coordinator for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, says that sometimes her negotiators fly into places that are only accessible by bush plane, or to which they have to drive eight hours or more just to get there, so that they have already worked a full day before they even begin.)

Q: I would be very interested in a way to consider ADR approaches to couples in crisis where one is seeking a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order). Many statistics give rise to the inciting rather than protective effect of a TRO in domestic violence cases, where the filing spouse is in even greater danger with a TRO than without. Could intervention by another means be more effective?

A: High conflict relationships pose some of the most troubling and potentially dangerous situations for ADR professionals. Any attempts at mediation should be deferred until the safety of all parties, the disputing parties as well as the mediator can be clearly established. The Academy of Family Mediators’ Task Force on Spousal and Child Abuse Report writes that the process should forward “only if both parties have the ability to mediate safely, autonomously, and free from any intimidation.”

Abusive relationships exist in an environment where there is an unequal balance of power and control in a relationship. Abusers believe they have the "right" or "duty" to punish those who question or threaten their control, and feel most threatened when they feel they are going to loose control. An abuser is most likely to violently act out when the abused party seeks to leave, and he sees power and control slipping away. and is most likely to violently act out. Although even filing for a protective order may escalate violence between the parties, especially if the abusive party fits the profile discussed above, not seeking such protection continues to send the message that the abusive behavior is acceptable.

The types of intervention that might have avoided the need for a TRO would have had to have been offered much earlier in the relationship before the patterns of power and control had been established. I would strongly discourage ADR professionals from interfering with or advising a party against seeking a TRO, if that party feels the need for protection. It would be far better to allow the court process to proceed in the hopes the order may diffuse the potential for future violence. If the TRO process escalates the violence there could be no clearer indication that the case is inappropriate for mediation.

***If you would like to e-mail Harriet McCollum, who provided this answer for us, and discuss further with her, please contact Lynne Kinnucan at kinnucan@patriot.net.

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