Critical Incidents: Negotiating with the Mentally Ill

The OpTac International Critical Incidents: Negotiating with the Mentally Ill Program will be held August 25-27, 2014 in Hagerstown, Maryland.

This program provides contemporary negotiations, communications, and psychological strategies for critical incidents involving mentally ill individuals. An emphasis is placed on the tactical negotiator team concept, identifying various mental illnesses, police-assisted suicides, multi-lingual/cross-cultural concerns, and techniques to de-escalate hostage crises. Presentations on the interplay between negotiations and tactical options, along with identifying essential organizational conditions offer new approaches to increase the likelihood of successful outcomes involving the mentally ill. Hands-on tabletop exercises allow attendees the opportunity to practice negotiation/communication techniques and to better understand their responsibilities during hostage negotiations.

The cost to attend Critical Incidents: Negotiating with the Mentally Ill Program is $599 per person. There is limited space available, therefore, paid reservations are accepted on a priority basis.

Subject Areas:

• Identifying mentally ill individuals
• Behavioral science
• Empathy - advantages and disadvantages
• Transference - positive and negative
• Principles and strategies for hostage negotiations
• Organizational conditions
• Role of the tactical negotiator in critical situations to include: police assisted suicide and hostage rescue
• Communications and listening skills involving the mentally ill
• Intelligence gathering techniques
• Team concept for hostage negotiations
• Multi-lingual and cross-cultural concerns
• Application of negotiations skills through tabletop exercises