Wayne State School of Social Work leads the charge to change crisis response in Michigan.

The Wayne State University School of Social work was awarded grant funding from Michigan Department of Health & Human Services in 2023 to develop a training to improve crisis response in the state of Michigan. The program's mission is to prepare mental health professionals and paraprofessionals to act as crisis responders in various settings, often collaborating with law enforcement. This behavioral health workforce will be trained for these new jobs to increase public safety and the well-being of the individual in crisis.

The Behavioral Health Crisis Response Training Program will begin accepting participants through 1) a continuing education mechanism in fall 2024 and 2) university credit-based classes in 2024.

Eligibility

• The university credit-based program will be open to all undergraduate and graduate students of WSU and those in other degree programs across the state. Additional details to come.
• The continuing education program option is available for behavioral health professionals in Michigan looking to build their crisis intervention skills. Individuals with their bachelor’s degree who are currently working in a behavioral health setting are eligible for the continuing educaiton training. If you are currently not working in a behavioral health setting but are looking to in do so in the future, please reach out to crisistraining@wayne.edu to determine eligibility.

Continuing Education Program

The Crisis Training Response Continung Education Program is designed to provide foundational skills for bachelor’s level (or degree seeking) participants who are interested in behavioral health crisis intervention services. The program will consist of 40 hours of class contact time. 32 hours will be completed via synchronous online sessions. Eight hours will be completed at an in-person Crisis Response Skill Building Day practice session held on a Saturday.

Modules 

• The training consists of six (6) of asynchronous training modules able to be taken anytime, anywhere. Participants will then complete four (4) synchronous Zoom trainings and wrap up the training with six (6) additional asynchronous trainings modules. 
• The final module is an eight (8) hour in person skills day where participants will have the opportunity to practice the skills they have learned in the asynchronous and synchronous training modules.
• Modules must be completed in chronological order. You will not be able to advance to the next module without completing it to it’s entirety and passing the post test with a score of 80% or better.
• Participants are allowed two attempts to re-take the post-test if their score is less than the requirement before the participant is required to re-take the entire module.
• Participants will have a total of four (4) months to complete the entire 40-hour training in order to receive their certification.
• Self-care information and practices will be woven throughout the curriculum, as will the importance of self-awareness, reducing stigma, and cultural humility.

Crisis Response Skill Building Day

The purpose of Crisis Response Skill Building Day is to support the integration of the course content and provide students with a structured opportunity to practice crisis intervention skills. We will review core content and build on it through instruction and skill-based exercises. Additional experiential content will support development of empathy and understanding of the experience of mental/behavioral health crisis and understanding of other first responder professional roles and culture.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the components of effective crisis intervention.
2. Demonstrate skills for responding to suicide related crisis.
3. Demonstrate skills for responding to a person experiencing symptoms of psychosis.
4. Demonstrate motivational interviewing and de-escalation skills to resolve a crisis.
5. Develop an understanding of the culture of other first responders.
6. Understand considerations for intervening with children/adolescents and families.

University Course Credit Based Program

The Crisis Training Response University Course Credit Based Program developement is currently underway. Additional details will be posted shortly. 

Contact

For questions related to the Behavioral Health Crisis Response Training Program (40 hour CE program) contact crisistraining@wayne.edu.

For questions related to the university credit-based classes should contact ce_ssw@wayne.edu and 313-577-9348.