“When individuals with special needs are in new or challenging situations or environments, they can feel uncomfortable, anxious, and frightened. This can be especially true during an interaction with a police officer or firefighter. Although police officers and firefighters are trained to handle a wide variety of situations, it is important that we recognize the characteristics of autism and other special needs and instinctively implement effective ways to interact with those individuals. Police and fire fighters should strive for new and different ways to serve their special needs communities. Obtaining training and having the Keep Calm Sensory Kit as a resource is an essential part of every police and firefighters' everyday carry equipment.”  

Stefan Bjes – Sergeant, Addison Police Department

 Who should get trained on Pediatric Mental Health? 

• Crisis Response Teams
• School Resource Officers
• Police Officers
• Paramedics/Emergency Medical Technicians
• Youth serving professionals

Types of trainings:

1. Virtual webinar or zoom training: Learn from Courtney firsthand about life raising a special needs son and discover the basics of mental health disorders in children and how to work with and respond to these amazing kids. ($125)

• 2 hour trainings are provided through a multi-faceted approach and customizable to your department. Longer or multi session trainings will be provided for an additional fee of $50 per hour.

2. Comprehensive Pediatric Mental Health Training (in development)

Train your entire department over the course of multiple, pre-recorded sessions utilizing Mental Health Response training videos, and quizzes. CEU credit will be provided to everyone who completes the training series.

• ($200 per registrant. Includes all 22 training videos, CEU credit and $25 off a Keep Calm Sensory kit.)
• Training over 5 people: Contact Courtney Willegal to set up a group price. (courtney@invisible-child.com)

Topics include:

• What are mental health disorders in children and prevalence across the United States. 
• Meet the children and their families living with MHD's
• Types of Mental Health Disorders (9 roll call video sessions)
• Response tactics when interacting with a child/young adult with mental health disorder(s). (11 roll call video session)

Training material will incorporate the following resources: Responding to the Invisible Child book (tactical response guide to mental health disorders in children, written by Courtney Willegal), family account videos, and mental health videos. 

3. Speaking Engagements

Immerse yourself in the life of a child living with Mental Health Disorders and learn firsthand from a mother of two boys (10 and 13) who are living with multiple Mental Health Disorders about what life is like for her and her children and the millions of others kids living with Invisible Disorders. Discover how you as a First Responder can help during a stressful situation and recognize the visual clues a child will share with you regarding their mental health. 

 

 Keep Calm Sensory Kit

The Keep Calm Sensory Kit is a response tool used by First Responders and designed in collaboration with police and EMT’s to help special needs populations cope with their emotions, self-regulate, manage stress and help with restlessness during an emergency. Each tool/resource in the Keep Calm Sensory Kit was hand selected, tested and chosen by adults and children living with various mental health disorders.  The fidgets and tools were selected with the highest standards for quality, sanitation, and multi-person use top of mind. 

Check out the Keep Calm Sensory Kit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out the Keep Calm Sensory Kit.

 

 

 

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