Intro to Situational Awareness  (ISA) and Applied Verbal De-escalation (AVDE)

Virtual

REGISTRATION FEE

Registration Deadline: March 22, 2026

Additional registrations receive a discounted rate.

Description

An introductory overview of Situational Awareness in all aspects of life and how to identify and apply Verbal De-escalation in moments of high stress, personal interactions. 

Introduction to Situational Awareness (ISA Program)

In today’s world, being mindful of your surroundings and capable of using what you see to accurately predict the actions of others are crucial skills when it comes to your personal safety. When properly applied, situational awareness will help improve your general understanding of how, when, and where violence occurs.

Arcuri Group’s training programs provide students with a foundation in, and knowledge of the craft known as Situational Awareness. These programs are designed to educate the participant in the discipline of situational awareness, thereby creating a security awareness practitioner capable of understanding and dealing with the dynamics of random and potentially threatening events while planning day-to-day activities.

Applied Verbal De-Escalation (AVDE Program)

De-escalation employs verbal and nonverbal techniques to better manage a situation without having to potentially engage in a physical altercation. It can sometimes be described as the act of “talking someone down” during a disruptive or potentially violent encounter.

De-escalation done properly should consider the true threat posed by the encounter, as well as the risk to those nearby. De-escalating a situation can take on many forms depending on the encounter; from dealing with a mental health episode to interacting with an upset stranger, client, or co-worker to a situation where someone is a threat to cause harm.

Though physical intervention is sometimes unavoidable, successful de-escalation can help protect you and others in volatile situations.
Strong situational awareness can help the practitioner identify situations where de- escalation might be needed; the risks posed by the agitated individual; and the best path to de-escalation. Being situationally aware allows the practitioner to identify a potential problem and begin the de-escalation process sooner – in most cases, the sooner de- escalation tactics can be employed, the better the outcome.

Arcuri Group’s de-escalation program is taught in conjunction with our best-in-class situational awareness training to give participants the information they need to be successful and have safer outcomes.

Objectives

Situational Awareness

1. Define and apply core concepts of situational awareness, including mindset, human aggression, observation, alertness, and personal operations planning.
   
2. Understand situation dynamics such as travel safety, anomaly detection, and maintaining control in unpredictable environments.
   
3. Develop practitioner-level awareness, vulnerable vs capable, gray-man theory, heightened perception of environmental details, and behavioral analysis.
   
4. Explore crime-related awareness, including motivational factors, how criminal identify a target , criminal methodology, and mitigation strategies.

Applied Verbal De-Escalation

1. Define and apply verbal de-escalation techniques, including tone modulation, body language, and active listening.
   
2. Assess situational threats and risks, using structured observation and emotional regulation strategies.
   
3. Integrate situational awareness into de-escalation planning, enabling early intervention and safer outcomes.

FACULTY

Christopher Powell, is a retired US Army Counterintelligence Case Officer and Ground Reconnaissance expert, with over two decades of operational experience in the most demanding environments; served at every level of command from tactical execution to strategic coordination. 
 
Chris is currently a Senior Advisor and Master instructor with Arcuri Group - he is one of just a small number of people globally to achieve Arcuri Group's Situation Awareness - Master Practitioner certification.  

Recording

This session will be recorded and made available to registrants for 30 days after the webinar.

Continued Education Credits

This program has been designed to meet the continuing education requirements for the Minnesota Board of Nursing, Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologist Licensing, and the Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy for 3 contact hours. Application has been made to the Board of Physical Therapy for 3 contact hours.

A certificate of attendance will also be offered. We will be tracking attendance via zoom and will be auditing the total time spent watching the webinar. The webinar must be watched in its entirety for CEUs, partial credit will not be awarded. A passing score of 80% on the post-webinar quiz will be required for CE.

CONFIRMATION

Prior to the webinar, a Zoom link will be e-mailed to you. You will need to click on this link to access the webinar, a dial-in number and an access code to listen in via telephone will also be provided. You will also be sent any pertinent handouts if available to the email address you provide.

EDUCATION PAYMENT POLICY

Non-Members – Payment in full is required upon registration.

Members – Outstanding invoices 30 days after an event date will incur a $25 late fee per registration.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Cancellations from non-members must be in writing via email and received by MHCA on or before Tuesday, March 17, 2026 to receive a refund less a $25 cancellation fee (per registration). No refunds for cancellations made after the cancellation deadline or for no-shows.  

HANDOUTS

Handouts and related materials will be sent to you shortly before the program to the email address you provide. Please feel free to provide an additional email address as a backup.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Please click here to review the MHCA Code of Conduct.

Registration Deadline: Sunday, March 22, 2026

QUESTIONS?

Please contact Melissa Stenberg, MHCA Education Manager at (651) 635-0923 or MSTENBERG@MNHOMECARE.ORG