Seminar Title
Responding to Mental Health Subjects: Responses and De-escalation Strategies
Dates of Events
09/19/2023 through 09/20/2023
Last Updated: 05/30/2023
Instructor(s): Mark Lowther
Location: APOSTC - 15950 Mosley Road, Stapleton, AL 36578
Hotel: Hampton Inn Mobile- East Bay/Daphne - 29451 US Highway 98, Daphne, AL 36526
Course Registration Fee: $295
Instructor Bio
Mark Lowther
Mark Lowther is a US Marine Corps veteran. Lt. Lowther has 30 years in public safety. Mark is dual POST certified in Utah as a correctional officer, and a Law Enforcement officer having served most of his career in enforcement.
His background is varied and diverse. He has served as a SWAT hostage negotiator for a major portion of his career. His background and experience come from serving on two Metro SWAT teams. Lt. Lowther has experience on all levels of negotiations from tech to negotiation team leader. He has personally been involved in numerous threatened suicide and SWAT negotiations including barricaded gunmen and hostage incidents. Lt. Lowther also served 10 years as a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officer, instructor, and training coordinator.
Lt. Lowther has spent a major portion of his career in assignments involving crisis negotiation, suicide intervention, verbal de-escalation, peer support, Autism awareness, and mental illness. He has instructed law enforcement locally, nationally, and internationally on those topics. In addition to his law enforcement training, he has received specialized training in crisis counseling and Psychological First Aid. He currently volunteers working a crisis hotline.
Lt. Lowther was named by the Utah Tactical Officers Association as the 2012 Crisis Negotiator of the year. Some of his experiences in SWAT negotiations are featured in the book “Crisis Cops 2”.
Lt. Lowther served as part of the Public Safety Law Enforcement Unit assigned to the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics. He has also served on a federal task force as a sworn Special Deputy United States Marshal. Mark although retired from full time law enforcement, continues to serve part time in law enforcement with multiple agencies.
Mark Lowther is a US Marine Corps veteran. Lt. Lowther has 30 years in public safety. Mark is dual POST certified in Utah as a correctional officer, and a Law Enforcement officer having served most of his career in enforcement.
His background is varied and diverse. He has served as a SWAT hostage negotiator for a major portion of his career. His background and experience come from serving on two Metro SWAT teams. Lt. Lowther has experience on all levels of negotiations from tech to negotiation team leader. He has personally been involved in numerous threatened suicide and SWAT negotiations including barricaded gunmen and hostage incidents. Lt. Lowther also served 10 years as a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officer, instructor, and training coordinator.
Lt. Lowther has spent a major portion of his career in assignments involving crisis negotiation, suicide intervention, verbal de-escalation, peer support, Autism awareness, and mental illness. He has instructed law enforcement locally, nationally, and internationally on those topics. In addition to his law enforcement training, he has received specialized training in crisis counseling and Psychological First Aid. He currently volunteers working a crisis hotline.
Lt. Lowther was named by the Utah Tactical Officers Association as the 2012 Crisis Negotiator of the year. Some of his experiences in SWAT negotiations are featured in the book “Crisis Cops 2”.
Lt. Lowther served as part of the Public Safety Law Enforcement Unit assigned to the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics. He has also served on a federal task force as a sworn Special Deputy United States Marshal. Mark although retired from full time law enforcement, continues to serve part time in law enforcement with multiple agencies.
Course Objectives
Course Overview:
Today’s scrutiny placed upon police officers and other first responders have resulted in a growing need to learn a basic understand of Mental illness including Autism and the crisis communication and de-escalation skills needed to deal with these incidents.
Although no training can ever reasonably be expected to stop all incidents in escalating to use of force, many citizens and communities have begun to expect officers receive training in mental illness and when possible apply verbal de-escalation strategies.
This course is designed to help individuals working in law enforcement, corrections as well as EMT’s Fire Fighters, and others understand and deal with individuals who are mentally ill or have a developmental disability.
Attendees will learn that communicating verbally during a potential force encounter may aid in stabilizing the situation.
Understand the characteristics of mental illness. Verbal de-escalation may reduce the immediacy of the threat so that more time, options, and resources can be called upon to resolve the situation.
Attendees will learn many of the same skills Crisis/Hostage negotiators use to de-escalate, build rapport, and often move the subject who is agitated/in crisis towards the rational communications that benefits everyone involved.
At the conclusion of this course, the participant should be able to do the following:
· Understand what mental illness is and is not.
· Is bi-polar disorder and manic depression the same thing?
· What are the drastically different behaviors an individual who has bi-polar disorder may display?
· What are the unique challenges in dealing with individuals who suffer from schizophrenia?
· What are the differences between hallucinations and delusions?
· How should first responders deal with an individual who is experiencing delusions/hallucinations?
· What is autism?
· What are some considerations first responders must keep in mind upon first arrival in dealing with an autistic individual?
· What is Borderline Personality disorder?
· What is PTSD and do only combat veterans get it?
· Which mental illness have a higher propensity of suicide?
· Better understand the mindsets of suicidal individuals and deal more effectively with suicide ideations.
· What is the difference between being mentally ill vs. emotional disturbed?
· Understand the de-escalation techniques and challenges with the mentally ill.
• What is Autism?
• Do all autistic individuals individuals have the same characteristics?
• Strategies for responding to calls involving autistic individuals will be discussed.
• Which mental illnesses have higher than average suicide rates?
• Mental illness and suicide will be discussed including suicide by cop
• Suicide response and intervention strategies will be discussed.
Although no training can ever reasonably be expected to stop all incidents in escalating to use of force, many citizens and communities have begun to expect officers receive training in mental illness and when possible apply verbal de-escalation strategies.
This course is designed to help individuals working in law enforcement, corrections as well as EMT’s Fire Fighters, and others understand and deal with individuals who are mentally ill or have a developmental disability.
Attendees will learn that communicating verbally during a potential force encounter may aid in stabilizing the situation.
Understand the characteristics of mental illness. Verbal de-escalation may reduce the immediacy of the threat so that more time, options, and resources can be called upon to resolve the situation.
Attendees will learn many of the same skills Crisis/Hostage negotiators use to de-escalate, build rapport, and often move the subject who is agitated/in crisis towards the rational communications that benefits everyone involved.
At the conclusion of this course, the participant should be able to do the following:
· Understand what mental illness is and is not.
· Is bi-polar disorder and manic depression the same thing?
· What are the drastically different behaviors an individual who has bi-polar disorder may display?
· What are the unique challenges in dealing with individuals who suffer from schizophrenia?
· What are the differences between hallucinations and delusions?
· How should first responders deal with an individual who is experiencing delusions/hallucinations?
· What is autism?
· What are some considerations first responders must keep in mind upon first arrival in dealing with an autistic individual?
· What is Borderline Personality disorder?
· What is PTSD and do only combat veterans get it?
· Which mental illness have a higher propensity of suicide?
· Better understand the mindsets of suicidal individuals and deal more effectively with suicide ideations.
· What is the difference between being mentally ill vs. emotional disturbed?
· Understand the de-escalation techniques and challenges with the mentally ill.
• What is Autism?
• Do all autistic individuals individuals have the same characteristics?
• Strategies for responding to calls involving autistic individuals will be discussed.
• Which mental illnesses have higher than average suicide rates?
• Mental illness and suicide will be discussed including suicide by cop
• Suicide response and intervention strategies will be discussed.
