Collaboration brings crisis management workshop to first responders, community

ALTOONA, Pa. - Seven students from the Integrated Social Sciences Research Lab (ISSRL) at Penn State Altoona recently worked with faculty from the Douglas W. Pollock Center at Penn State Harrisburg and representatives from the Pennsylvania State Police, Penn State Health and the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute to provide a free crisis management training workshop to first responders and community members in the Dauphin County region.

The Keystone Model of crisis management training is the same style used at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy to train cadets in effective de-escalation, use-of-force and mental health awareness. It combines the expertise of healthcare professionals, the practical training of senior law enforcement, and simulation. The training includes informational lectures, didactic sessions and hands-on application exercises for community members and first-responders.

"This workshop also helps improve public understanding of police training and departmental policy in an effort to enhance police-community relationships," said Nathan E. Kruis, associate professor of criminal justice, co-director of the ISSRL, and event co-facilitator. "The training is unique in that it welcomes members of the public and other professional groups in addition to law enforcement."

This is the second workshop collaborators have provided. Further, Kruis, Nicholas J. Rowland and student research partners in the ISSRL are conducting an objective, academic evaluation on the effectiveness of the Keystone Model for the Pennsylvania State Police and Penn State Health.

Funding for the workshop was provided by the Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research at Penn State Harrisburg.

"The collaboration between Penn State's Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research and the Pennsylvania State Police underscores the University's dedication to fulfilling its land grant mission," said Weston Kensinger, director of the Pollock Center. "By delivering these workshops, law enforcement officers and citizens gain valuable knowledge and skills that contribute to enhancing the safety and well-being of all individuals in Pennsylvania."

"This is what the land-grant mission of the University is all about," said Kruis, "We plan on holding additional workshops in the future to make this training available to all Pennsylvanians. There is a need for this type of engagement, and the Commonwealth Campuses are situated perfectly to be the vessel to provide support for such efforts."