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Hacks for Continuing Services During an Escalated Event

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The decision as to whether or not you are able to continue services during an escalated event is incredibly important and should be given thought before such an event takes place.

Try to develop a list of “If, then” scenarios to determine in advance how you might respond. Be forewarned that most likely your exact scenarios will never happen and certainly not exactly as planned. However, leaders shared that the exercise of thinking through these issues will better position you to respond effectively when events do escalate.

 

Featured Hacks

These featured hacks highlight creative, practical solutions from harm reduction leaders on the ground. From DIY tools to clever workarounds, each one reflects the ingenuity, care, and real-world experience that keeps this movement alive. 

Hacks for Staying Present

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As discussed in the part of the site on preventing escalation, it is essential for harm reduction workers to stay present and remain centered and relatively calm during escalated events. This is one of the hardest things to do, but staying present and centered during any kind of escalated situation at your harm reduction site is essential to de-escalation.
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Hacks for Empathetic Active Listening

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Once you have grounded yourself during an escalated situation, next engage in active listening with the person who is agitated. This can seem counterintuitive or difficult when you are dealing with somebody who is, for example, screaming at you, and it may feel like you’re rewarding them for being completely irrational. But it is key to getting them more centered and grounded so they’re less agitated and less likely to become a danger to themselves or others.
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