Course Summary
There are only a few truly unsettling types of calls that dispatchers will encounter in their career. Active shooter calls, officer in trouble calls, a citizen being assaulted while on a call, and then there are Suicidal callers. These will present one of the most challenging calls you will take. First and foremost, it is important to recognize and understand that people will die, and they may even kill themselves while you are on the phone with them. This reality is heartbreaking, and has the potential to be traumatizing if you are not aware of this tragic possibility. You must know that There are no magic words you can speak to prevent that from happening. Our goal as dispatchers is to increase the amount of time between hello and goodbye. Time is our friend when it comes to getting these callers help.
Course Syllabus
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Module 1 - Understanding Suicide
- Understanding Suicide
- Is Suicide a Choice?
- Know Yourself
- Self-Reflection Exercise
- Statistics
- Factors That Affect Successful Suicide
- Passive and Active Suicidal Thoughts
- Suicide in the Law Enforcement Profession
- Suicide in the Law Enforcement Profession - Continued
- Interview with Dispatcher Teresa Fein
- Assessment
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Module 2 - Responding to Suicidal Callers
- Handling Suicidal Callers
- The HELPER Model
- Other Techniques
- "What NOT to Say" - Exercise
- Suicide by Cop
- Interactive Scenario A
- Interview with Dispatcher Kyra Pulliam
- Reframing Exercise
- Interview with Dispatcher Teresa Fein
- Interactive Scenario B
- Post-Call
- Jim Keaton's Story
- Assessment
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Module 3 - Final Assessment
- Final Assessment