These are difficult times and this is difficult work: how might we approach it first as human beings?

Escalation is a dynamic that involves at least two people.

Why “UN_ESCALATE” ?

Many asked at the end of other workshops: do you do anything on de-escalation?
My usual Response was “no because I don’t think of it that way.
Two years ago I took on the challenge and asked myself: “ok,  so how do I see it and what might I offer ?.”

Most de-escalation trainings is focus on an assumption that a client is “escalating” and thus “in-need-of-need-de-escalating” by an expert – a worker – who is expert in “de-escalating” clients “in-need-of-de-escalating”.

UN_ESCALATE is different, intentionally so.

1. Starts in a different place and carves a different path.
2. Shares ideas, tools from many sources including: systems thinking and relational dynamics, peace building, peer support, health promotion.
3. Focusses on ways we can critically examine how services are designed and operated , to not do -or to undo – some of the many things that get done to people who access services that lead them to react in ways that get called “escalating” and results in them being deemed a “person in need of de-escalation”. 

If we do this then, maybe, we’ll find ourselves thinking that we need to “de-escalate” another  person less often.

“Yeah, we do things round here all the time that ‘escalate’ people.”

UN_ESCALATE : Some basic assumptions.

• None individual escalates all by themself.
• We each “escalate“: in response to [something in] our environment, and in context of our whole life experience.
• Whatever a person is doing is both an expression of a deeply felt need, and a survival response.
• Whatever survival response we tend to fall back on is likely one that we’ve learned from how life has treated us and one that’s worked so far… but is also not the only one and may not the best one for this moment.
• The only person I can “de-escalate” is me.
• None of us can “de-escalate another”.
• We can though, de-escalate the situation in which we both find ourselves.

Q. How do we draw upon experiences of being in the role of  worker required to “de-escalate” a person said to be “in need of de-escalation”?

Q. How do we draw upon experiences of having been that person said to be “in need of de-escalation”?

Q. How might we go beyond the operationalization, steps, and rules-based approach of  “de-escalation” and instead UN_ESCALATE?

This is a one-day workshop in two parts, offered here over two half-days: two consecutive Saturday mornings.

A WORKshop for WORKers…

Sharing ideas, thinking tools and practical stuff you can use so you can
suck less.

this workshop is designed to share some ideas , tools and approaches we can use to examine how we can change the way we approach situations in which it is usually said that an individual is “in need of de-escalation”.

Part one looks at some ideas, part two creates opportunity – after a few days reflection- to use some of these ideas, individually and or in combination, to examine how we work in services in ways that lead people to “escalate” and generate practical ideas for changing how we work in these situations, including systemic changes and also personal choices we make in how we go about the work. And generate ideas for changes – or different choices we can make starting from our next shift.

Designed a s small interactive, participative workshop .
Spaces are Limited 

Part 1   Saturday 27th Nov 2021
             9:30am to 1:30pm

Part 2   Saturday   4th Dec    2021
             9:30am to 1:30pm

Facilitator:
Kevin Healey

Location:
Church of The Holy Trinity
10 Trinity Square
[next to Eaton Centre]

Register online NOW
Registration is online at Eventbrite.com
Click on the link below or on the BIG PINK BUTTON

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/un-escalate-tickets-177361993497

We are grateful for Church of The Holy Trinity for use of the space and pleased to be part of both the community and the community work based there.

Please feel free to print and /or share the poster.
Printable pdf: UN_ESCALATE poster FALL2021