This training provides participants with a foundational understanding of how trauma impacts behavior, safety, and crisis response. Through a blend of interactive instruction, real-world examples, and reflective activities, learners will explore the ways trauma affects the brain’s arousal system and influences an individual’s reactions under stress. Participants will learn responsive strategies to prevent and prepare for crises before they occur, along with practical physical and non-physical techniques for safely managing crises when they arise. The session also covers effective methods for debriefing critical incidents, helping teams process events, strengthen resilience, and improve future responses. By the end of the training, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to support trauma-responsive, safety-focused practices in their work.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe strategies to prevent and prepare for crises.
2. Describe physical and non-physical strategies for managing crises.
3. Identify techniques to debrief critical incidents.
Target Audience
The target audience for this training includes substance use harm reduction, recovery, housing/homelessness, and treatment staff (non-clinicians), recovery coaches, recovery specialists, and other non-clinical professionals providing substance use services.
The target audience for this training may also include substance use services clinicians, counsellors, recovery coaches, recovery specialists, and others providing substance use related services.
This training may also be beneficial to:
Clinical Social Workers
This training will strengthen clinical social workers’ ability to understand how trauma influences behavior, arousal, and responses to stress and crisis. Participants will develop practical skills for preventing and preparing for crises, using trauma-informed physical and non-physical crisis response strategies, and supporting clients and colleagues following critical incidents. These skills can promote safety, reduce retraumatization, and strengthen recovery and resilience.
Macro-Focused Social Workers
This training will help macro-focused social workers apply trauma-informed principles to organizational crisis prevention, response, and recovery. Participants will gain knowledge of strategies for preparing for and managing crises, supporting safe and effective responses, and facilitating critical-incident debriefing. These skills can inform organizational policies, procedures, staff support practices, and systems that promote safety, resilience, and continuous improvement.
Coffee will be provided as well as lunch in the afternoon.
Northampton Center for the Arts
33 Hawley Street
Northampton, MA 01060
6.0 hours of Continuing Education will be offered for Social Work, Nurses (RN/LPN), Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LADC I, LADC II) and LADC Assistants and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CAC/CADC). Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs); all continuing education for LMHCs in MA must be approved by a recognized entity, NBCC, National Board of Certified Counselors is recognized by the MA Division of Professional Licensure Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions.