This 2-day, 16-hour course is a deep dive into tactical communication skills and perspectives from a hostage (crisis) negotiations point of view. This course begins by reviewing the basics of crisis negotiations (e.g. Active Listening Skills), influence, persuasion, and rapport building in order to resolve crisis situations. A review of risk assessment and the prediction of harmful behavior will also be covered, as well as an overview of how to intervene with those in a psychiatric crisis. Crisis negotiator callout debriefings will be used throughout the course as examples of the principles discussed. 

Ø  This class is available to all criminal justice personnel who have daily contact with the public, especially if they respond to emotionally charged situations or may find themselves in such an event.

CONTACT ME THROUGH THIS WEBSITE TO REGISTER!

James City County Law Enforcement Center, 4600 Opportunity Way, Williamsburg, VA 23188

Honored to be invited to keynote and do a breakout session for the VA CIT conference!

See: https://virginiacit.org/ for details, forthcoming!

For registration see: https://publicagencytrainingcouncil.arlo.co/w/seminars/483-hostage-negotiations-phase-iii-young/878

From the PATC website: Hostage Negotiations Phase III training module is a continuation of Phase I and Phase II that builds on the solid foundation of theories and practicum of Hostage Negotiations.

Phase III will provide comprehensive training in the following areas:

• Supervisory and Management of a Hostage Negotiation Team and Hostage Scene;

• Prediction of Resolution of Hostage / Barricade Situations;

• Mentally Disturbed / Suicidal Risk Analysis;

• Communication and Negotiations Skills with the Mentally Impaired;

• Managing Threatening Situations;

• Stress & Anxiety Management and Psychological Threat Assessment;

• Communication and Negotiation Skills Applicable to Jail and Correction Facilities

Thrilled to be invited by the Monmouth County Chiefs Association and local agencies to do my 2-day advanced negotiator training. See their academy website for details, forthcoming, or email me for details!

Been invited to do a 2-day training for Chicago Police Department and surrounding agencies hostage negotiators!

This two-day negotiation class is for police crisis (hostage) negotiators who have already passed a 40-hour basic certification course. Day one will review basic (active listening) and advanced (influence and persuasion) negotiator skills, and will use callout debriefings from the instructor’s past experience as examples. Day two will cover the advanced topics of negotiating with different psychiatric conditions, and will focus on negotiating with those who are personality disordered and/or empathy impaired. A 15-hour hostage standoff debriefing from the instructor’s past experience will serve as an example.

See the PATC website for registration!

Have the honor of once again speaking at the seminar and serving as a team judge!

For details and registration see: https://www.cj.txst.edu/events/hostage.html#

From the PATC website: This course for emergency service telecommunicators will review basic crisis intervention skills, and also examine response to various critical incidents and crimes in action, such as active shootings, hostage incidents, kidnappings, and barricaded mentally ill or suicidal subjects.

Skills for intervention with the mentally ill or suicidal will be examined, along with general guidelines for response to critical incidents.  Case examples from the instructor’s experience as a police hostage (crisis) negotiator will serve as illustration of the topics covered in this course. This course will also devote time to practice and refinement of these skills

For details and registration see: https://publicagencytrainingcouncil.arlo.co/w/seminars/553-intervention-and-assessment-skills-for-emergency-service-telecommunicators-working-with-various-critical-incidents/786

From the PATC Website: This training module is a continuation of the Phase I and Phase II Hostage Negotiations course. To qualify to take the Phase III Hostage Negotiations Certification you must have completed Phase I and II through Public Agency Training Council. No other hostage training courses will qualify an individual / team to receive a certification through Phase III.

This is a Tested Training Class. A 50 Question Test Based on Phase I, II & III will be given. A Passing Score of 70% or greater is required to receive your Certification Certificate. Each student will be critiqued and given feedback on their ability to fulfill the duties of a “primary” negotiator through this course. Other advanced topics covered in Phase III will be:

• Negotiator Competencies and Influence and Persuasion

• Supervision and Management of a Hostage Negotiation Team and Hostage Scene

• Hostage / Barricade Situations Considerations, Threat Assessment, and Indicators of Progress

• Suicidal Risk Assessment and Intervention.

• Communication and Negotiation Skills with Different Psychiatric Conditions.

• Kidnap Negotiations.

• Negotiating with Terrorists and Active Shooters

• Communication and Negotiation Skills Applicable to Jail and Correction Facilities.

• P.T.S.D. and Traumatic Brain Injury

• Stress & Anxiety Management

For details and registration see: https://publicagencytrainingcouncil.arlo.co/w/seminars/483-hostage-negotiations-phase-iii-young/963

For registration and details see: https://ttpoa.org/advanced-training/specialty/courses/196

Here’s the course description from the TTPOA website: In this two-day training seminar, attendees will review advanced intervention strategies used during potential high risk incidents that may aid in stabilizing life threatening situations. This training course is designed to assist hostage/crisis negotiators, mental health officers and mobile crisis intervention team members and frontline responders, who will respond to incidents involving barricade or hostage situations, individuals experiencing mental illness, are in a state of crisis or who may be actively suicidal. This course will also assist first responders communicate with individuals who are agitated or in crisis with a goal towards decreasing the intensity of the situation by behavioral change. Verbal de-escalation techniques will be studied that may reduce the immediacy of the threat so that more time, options, and resources can be called upon to resolve the situation. Attendees will review advanced techniques used by mental health professionals to de-escalate persons in crisis, build rapport, and bring the person of concern towards behavioral change that will impact the safety of everyone involved. This course will review the concepts and techniques of crisis de-escalation and negotiation, suicide intervention and communicating with subjects suffering from mental illness, trauma reactions and/or in crisis. Training will also review the neurobiology and impact of trauma and how it affects behavior.

Training will include the signs and symptoms of common mental illnesses and the techniques, strategies and challenges of communicating with those experiencing various mental health issues. Attendees will also review active listening skills, communication barriers and overcoming them in a way that better contextualizes their experiences to aid in creating communication strategies. Attendees will learn to better communicate with empathy while employing crisis de-escalation methods.

For info. and registration see: https://publicagencytrainingcouncil.arlo.co/w/seminars/181-hostage-negotiations-and-crisis-intervention-phase-i-and-ii-young/942

From the PATC website: Introduction to Crisis/Hostage Negotiation: Understand the premise of crisis negotiation. Recognize elements of successful crisis negotiation .Apply common crisis negotiation terms.

Team Structure:  The structuring of a crisis negotiation team and the importance of command personnel, as well as command personnel’s understanding and support will be discussed. (This structure works for small and large agencies alike) Determine organizational requirements for an effective crisis response. Coordinate personnel, resources and equipment for crisis negotiation. Identify training requirements associated with crisis negotiation.

Basics of Negotiating:  The function and duties of each team member, including command personnel, will be explained and discussed. Negotiation strategies will also be discussed. Negotiation Operation Command (NOC) and Tactical Operation Command (TOC) - what are they and how do they function with each other during a SWAT incident. Apply safety and security measures to contain a crisis. Establish command and control during a crisis incident. Mitigate a crisis incident.. Establish operational objectives during a crisis. Evaluate and manage risk during a crisis incident. Plan a risk-effective negotiation strategy.

Intelligence: Develop a system for managing intelligence. Recognize the value of intelligence in mitigating a crisis. Differentiate categories of crisis intelligence. Apply intelligence to resolving a crisis incident. Maintain effective incident information charts and dialogue records. Social media is huge. In today’s world the negotiator has to be aware of how social media works and how it can help and hinder negotiations.

Communication Skills:  The student will be given an in-depth overview of communication skills, both conversational speaking and active listening will be discussed. Recognize the value of effective communication in crisis negotiation. Apply the principles of the behavioral influence steps. Recognize barriers to effective communication. Apply basic communication skills to crisis negotiation.

Psychology in Negotiations:  In this segment, students will discuss in layman’s terms the mental and personality disorders that are prevalent during crisis situations. Identifying the mental or personality disorder and dealing with it in a crisis situation. Students will learn the three most common types of suspects that are involved in hostage/barricade incidents. Recognize characteristics of mentally ill or emotionally disturbed subject Apply techniques for communicating with mentally ill or emotionally disturbed individuals.

Terrorism and extremist groups:  Can we negotiate with a terrorist or extremist groups?. An understanding of the ideology and culture of terrorists and extremist groups will be discussed

Case Studies: Each and every hostage and crisis situation is different. The cases we will review are a diverse sampling of the instructor’s experiences and other incidents from across the nation.

Suicide Intervention:  Can you talk a person into committing suicide? The truth and the myths about suicide will be discussed. Recognize suicide trends within the United States. Identify terminology associated with suicide. Identify risk factors associated with suicide. Identify risk indicators associated with the immediacy of suicidal intent. . Apply effective intervention techniques for the actively suicidal person.

Role Play:  Students will get a chance to participate as a team member and use the most advanced electronic equipment that is on the market today. Apply basic communication skills to crisis negotiation. Recognize and apply factors that contribute to successful crisis negotiation. Document crisis negotiation team activities. Apply intelligence to resolving a crisis incident.

Additional topics attendees will have gained knowledge in:

• Recognize circumstances conducive to successful crisis negotiation.

• Recognize and apply strategies that contribute to successful crisis negotiation.

• Recognize a non-negotiable situation.

• Recognize and understand risk/benefit regarding the use of third party intermediaries.

Just got scheduled! Check the PATC website for details . . . should be posted soon!

From the PATC website: Hostage Negotiations Phase III training module is a continuation of Phase I and Phase II that builds on the solid foundation of theories and practicum of Hostage Negotiations.

Phase III will provide comprehensive training in the following areas:

• Supervisory and Management of a Hostage Negotiation Team and Hostage Scene;

• Prediction of Resolution of Hostage / Barricade Situations;

• Mentally Disturbed / Suicidal Risk Analysis;

• Communication and Negotiations Skills with the Mentally Impaired;

• Managing Threatening Situations;

• Stress & Anxiety Management and Psychological Threat Assessment;

• Communication and Negotiation Skills Applicable to Jail and Correction Facilities

Been invited to bring hostage (crisis) negotiator training to the Texas Tactical Police Officer’s Association conference!

For details see: https://ttpoa.org/conferences/2025-ttpoa-conference

Been invited back to the first negotiator conference I got to speak for!

For details see: https://www.wshna.com/2025-training-seminar

Invited to bring negotiator training to the Indiana SWAT conference!

For details see: https://www.indianaswat.com/pssoconference

Love teaching this course and going back to Columbus to do so!

Check the PATC website for details . . .

Excited to be invited back to speak! Details forthcoming . . .

For details see: https://iahcn.com/

This will be the inaugural course I get to teach on this topic!

For more information see: The Use of Psychological Consultants on Hostage (Crisis) Negotiation and SWAT Teams

From the PATC Website DescriptIon: Course Overview

The purpose of this 3-day training is to train mental health professionals for the unique work and challenges associated with being on a hostage (crisis) negotiation and/or SWAT team. This is a dangerous, delicate, and complicated profession that requires specialized training and experience to accomplish the goals of threat mitigation, peaceful resolution of critical incidents, and working effectively within a law enforcement agency. Mental health professionals generally lack the training necessary for this work and this course seeks to fill those gaps in training and experience.

Course Description:

This course will review the topics most important to being an effective and competent Psychological Consultant on a hostage (crisis) negotiating team and/or SWAT team (see course outline of topics). Attendees will be exposed to both practical information but also debriefings of callouts from the instructor’s experience which will serve to illustrate the major objectives of this course.

Prerequisites

Successful completion of an in-person, 40-hour basic hostage (crisis) negotiations course is preferred, and highly recommended either before or after attending this course.

Invited back to speat at NTOA’s negotiator conference in 2025!

Check their website for details and come join us! They had 611 attendees in 2024 with many different break-out sessions.

See: https://www.ntoa.org/conferences/