Trauma Informed Policing

Certification

This course is certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.

Training Mandates

This course meets state guidelines for the following mandated subject areas:

• Cultural Competency  (every 3 yrs.)
• Human Rights  (every 3 yrs.)
• Procedural Justice  (every 3 yrs.)

Description

Through exploring the neurobiology of trauma, this course will increase the student’s understanding of trauma and violence, and will show how trauma-informed policing can improve interactions between police officers and civilians.  The program will help officers to more effectively deal with and de-escalate crisis situations.  It will also help them better understand and respond to the needs of people affected by trauma and to better cope with the vicarious trauma and trauma-related stress that can result from the demands of the law enforcement profession.

In addition to providing information about the connections between trauma and violence and about the neurological consequences of trauma, this training will cover adverse childhood experiences, the signs and symptoms of trauma, strategies for engaging with individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and vicarious and secondary trauma.  The training will be both didactic and interactive. Handouts with articles and other supplemental readings will be provided.

The initial offering of this training is intended for police supervisors, officers in leadership positions, field training officers (FTOs), and CIT officers.  Participants will be invited to attend a follow-up morning session on March 7th to review and reinforce the skills that have been learned.

Topics

• Define trauma and identify the key concepts of trauma-informed care.
• Identify two or three key ways that trauma can be manifested as mental illness and/or behavioral problems, and identify how these consequences can affect encounters with civilians.
• Better understand how traumatic experiences influence behavior.
• Identify how trauma affects the brain’s reactions and responses; and identify effective de-escalation techniques.
• Recognize when an officer may be experiencing trauma and develop strategies to alleviate problems caused by it.

Instructor

Deadline

Please register for this course by January 31.