The De-escalation Coach

Why is De-escalation so important? No one wants to see an individual in our care escalate towards crisis. What’s needed is a plan and toolkit of de-escalation strategies to call upon when we recognise the individual is spiralling. These tools can help regulate the emotions driving the behaviours, reduce risk, and ensure they feel supported. An individual can show heightened levels of arousal and signs of anxiety. They may have their hands over ears, be hiding or withdrawing, rocking or tapping, or perhaps refusing to do what they have asked. Some individuals will have much more subtle signs that they are beginning to feel agitated. We can play detective to spot these signs and recognise patterns in their behaviour to better understand why they feel distressed and how we can best support them. Often these behaviours are “low level”, however, if we do not respond to them, they may develop into crisis.