Negotiating with terrorists, the elderly, combat veterans, fellow officers, inmates, terrorists, the sovereign citizen extremist and troubled youth all present unique sets of challenges for a negotiator. In this advanced course designed specifically for experienced negotiators, you will learn proven methods for dealing with each of these groups.

PTSD and the high suicide rate within Department of Defense demand a closer look at the law enforcement response to a veteran in crisis. We will explore, in-depth, the
psychological wounds of veterans as they relate to crisis negotiation as well as specific negotiation strategies for mitigation.

The most lethal aspect of police work is suicide.  The suicidal fellow officer presents one of the most complex threats a law enforcement agency can face.  The presentation outlines predisposing factors of police suicide, factors affecting risk, and strategies for an effective intervention.

The availability of relevant intelligence, mental health assessments, facilities data, and the accountability of the inmate population are among a few of the advantages we will discuss in a corrections versus community’ discussion. Assessing threats, determining motivation, and developing a strategy are among the many topics discussed regarding negotiation with inmates.

Adolescents experience mental health issues unique to their emotional and sociological development and you will learn how these issues differ from those of an adult. You will also gain a basic understanding of the psychological motivations of an adolescent in crisis and learn to recognize the characteristics of an emotionally disturbed youth.

A suicidal adolescent who makes a decision to commit suicide at school presents a risk to both peers and faculty. You will learn to identify indicators of the immediacy of suicide intent as well as procedures for ensuring the safety of others.

We will also discuss the psychological and sociological aspects of the “Rampage School Shooter “ and the “Classroom Avenger” with special emphasis on negotiation techniques.

The conflicting ideologies the Sovereign Citizen Movement creates a unique challenge for the negotiator.  There are many personal beliefs and strong ideologies within the Sovereign Citizen Movement –  not all of which are criminal. Sovereign Citizen Extremists (SCE) are those who engage in a wide range of criminal behavior, including criminal occupation, planned violence, and schemes of fraud. You will learn of the wide variety of SCE, considerations for scene management and negotiation strategy.

There are as many different psychologies, motivations, and decision-making structures as there are types of terrorists. We will discuss the psychology of sub-state terrorism including Right-Wing, Social Revolutionary, National Separatist, Religious Extremist and Single-Issue terrorists. You will learn techniques for negotiating with both leaders and followers of a structured group during planned and unplanned incidents. We will also present an overview of Violent True Believers in the United States and techniques for responding to intended or planned violence.

The growing number of protest events around the country present opportunities for agencies to utilize negotiators in roles to improve communication channels and intelligence upon which the law enforcement response may be planned. We will discuss potential roles for negotiators in the protest setting.

Murder/suicide and suicide among the elderly are two of the fastest growing law enforcement problems in the United States. You will learn the sociological and psychological effects of aging, depression and the elderly, and techniques for generational communication.

‘Negotiating with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is a presentation that facilitates an understanding of the deaf culture and the unique challenges of communicating with the hearing impaired.  The use of technology, interpreters and relay systems will be addressed.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), members of the LGB community are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience depression and LGBTQ are at higher risk than the general population for suicidal thoughts and attempts. Students will gain a better understanding of how, during an intervention process, to transcend the double stigma of personal biases and mental health biases to apply supportive techniques.

You will gain a better understanding of each of the selected populations from both the psychological and sociological perspectives. More importantly, you will learn specific communication and negotiation strategies for mitigating a crisis.

Challenging, team-oriented, scenario-driven practical exercises are an integral part of the course and will allow you the opportunity to practice and refine your crisis negotiation skills while negotiating with someone from one of these special populations.

NOTE:  The course content for this program exceeds what is deliverable during a 40-hour course. One or more of these topics areas will be omitted based on availability of guest speakers and ‘lived experiences’ panels.

TOPICS INCLUDE:

Negotiating with Combat Veterans in Crisis
Negotiating with the Fellow Officer
Negotiating within the Corrections Environment
Negotiating with Troubled Youth
Negotiating with the Sovereign Citizen Extremist
Negotiating with Terrorists and Violent True Believers
Responding to the Protest Movement
Negotiating with the Elderly in Crisis
Responding to the LGBTQ Community in Crisis
Negotiating with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

PREREQUISITES:

You must be a sworn member of law enforcement or corrections, a non-law enforcement member of a crisis negotiation team, a mental health professional or a clergy member
supporting law enforcement activities and have completed CSM’s Crisis Hostage Negotiations – Level I (Basic) course, or an equivalent 40-hour crisis negotiation course, prior to attending this class. Requests for exceptions must be submitted and approved by the course director.

NOTE: This course alone does not meet state and federal training requirements for crisis-hostage negotiator certification; however, it is intended as an advanced/ refresher for previously trained and experienced negotiators.