Our training puts the power to recognize crisis in your hands and allows you to be confident in your own abilities. We empower every sector with skills and techniques to effectively interact with the public. With de-escalation and basic negotiation skills, along with an awareness of many concerning behaviors, we will provide you with skills enhancing almost every facet of your personal and professional life.
Our staff are considered experts in their respective fields, providing training to all sectors of the nation. With decades of experience interacting with the public, especially during crisis situations, their knowledge is comprehensively imparted to the students in real world examples from personal experiences. Classes utilize multiple approaches to assure a variety of learning styles are recognized, and to insure everyone gains an understanding of the important principles provided.
They have provided training to law enforcement, corrections, probation, emergency call centers, transit authorities, emergency medical staff, libraries, schools, day care centers, various businesses, and hospitals. While based in a background of law enforcement, the principles taught can be applied to any field and everyday life.
Brian Tison was a sworn police officer for over 29 years, retiring in March 2020. Serving with both the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Department (1991-96) and the University of Illinois Police Department (1996- 2020), he is now the president and primary trainer of Shield and Star Training Inc. Brian was an active CIT Officer and Coordinator for the Crisis Intervention Program for UIPD before his retirement. He served as the Hostage Negotiation Team Leader for the Champaign County METRO/SWAT Team and was Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Illinois Crisis Negotiators Association, as well as holding a seat on the National Council for Negotiation Associations. He is certified by the FBI through their 40- hour hostage negotiations training course. Brian taught the police response portion of the 40- hour Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) course statewide and served as the CIT Task Force representative for the University of Illinois. He was the first officer in Illinois to be trained as a CIT instructor and taught extensively for Mobile Training Units in Illinois, most recently “Mental Health Intervention and De- Escalation”. Brian has presented at the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Executives (IACLEA) conference in Montreal, Canada, National CIT Conferences in Florida and Ohio as well as state negotiation conferences in Illinois, Louisiana, Wisconsin, California, Indiana, Missouri, Florida, Texas, Idaho, Massachusetts, and Michigan. Since his retirement Brian has been working in a logistics capacity for emergency response incidents, including the covid pandemic. He instructs emergency managers nationwide through The Minotaur Group, based in Washington D.C., and still provides instruction to public and private organizations on multiple topics in his fields of expertise. Brian is published in the “Law Enforcement Executive Forum” and in 2006, he was named CIT Officer of the Year for the State of Illinois.
In the last four decades, the number of individuals with mental illness living in a community setting has risen drastically, resulting in increased contacts with law enforcement. Agencies across the country have responded by developing new protocols, hiring social workers, and implementing special response teams. This course is designed to increase officer awareness of mental health disorders and provide effective intervention techniques for handling mental health crisis situations. This training will benefit all levels of public safety, including police officers, corrections officers, and probation officers.
While the legislative requirements for police training in the subjects of mental health and de-escalation have skyrocketed in recent years, a critical element has been forgotten. Non-sworn public safety staff and emergency dispatchers have fallen behind in what are arguably the most important skills they may need. Ever on the front line of these emergencies, and most often the first point of contact, these vital pieces of the puzzle need to be considered for the critical role they play.
This 8 hour training is specifically designed for 911 dispatchers, telecommunicators, 911 call takers, Emergency Medical Services, and any non-sworn staff required to interact with the public. We will cover the basics of identifying someone in a mental health crisis, de-escalation techniques, and crisis negotiation principles. These techniques are mandatory for those interacting with the public, and are applicable in person and over the phone. Also covered are legal requirements and mandates imposed on emergency call centers, focusing on Standard of Care and the most current legal findings. Of equal or greater concern is the lack of support and information on debriefing traumatic incidents and self-care. Developing current policies and recognizing the need for training and recognition stress the importance of these and is paramount in helping our non-sworn staff be healthy and successful.
Any individual who has contact with the public in general is likely to encounter some sort of crisis situation. Regardless of the issue, mental health, behavioral health, substance use, anti-social behavior, or just general bad attitudes, interacting with these subjects can be challenging. We want to empower students with the knowledge of the resources available to them. This also provides them the skills to more effectively handle a situation before it becomes a crisis.
To save you time, we have prepared a few answers to frequently asked questions about our services.
Are mental health emergency incidents on the rise?
With services provided succumbing to the failing budgets of the government, the lack of needed psychological care is astounding. While crisis situations in the past were handled by mental health professionals, most people are currently introduced through the criminal justice system, requiring much more extensive training for first responders and the public in general.
What entities can benefit from the training?
Anyone who deals with the “public” will have need of these skills.
Will these trainings require any certifications or licenses?
No. The trainings provide the audience with basic skills to recognize when there may be an imminent issue. Identifying an issue BEFORE it becomes a crisis will allow a myriad of options to be explored. Remaining unaware, or unsure, about what needs to be done will usually end badly when the situation becomes a crisis.
How often should a facility be inspected for security against threats and undergo a policy review?
We recommend at least annual site surveys to check for compliance with and implementation of recommendations. Our site survey findings typically include actionable items that are not cost-prohibitive, e.g. locks on certain doors, and policy adjustments to assist with clarity of expected behavior.
Is our organization liable for not following through with site survey or policy recommendations?
While this question is best handled by a qualified legal professional familiar with your State’s laws, we strongly recommend to follow through with our recommendations. This does not constitute as legal advice in such regard, however.
How big of a space do you require to provide this training?
It ultimately depends on the size of the audience. For the presentation, any lecture hall or activity space with sufficient occupation capacity will do. We can perform these with a limited number of people depending on your facility, budget and time constraints.
How do the attendees react to the information?
We have found that the overwhelming majority of students are hungry for any information they can get. One constant thread from classes is the appreciation of the information being presented in a “no nonsense” “real world” fashion, even though some of it may be disturbing. A comment on an evaluation summarizes a common thread. “It was nice that the presenters spoke to us like adults and kept the issues real. I hope I never have to use these new skills, but I feel much more prepared to deal with a situation if I have to!”
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Shield and Star Training Inc.
613 N Glover Ct
Saint Joseph, IL 61873
United States