Training Courses

De-Escalation for Safer Outcomes

Date & Time:
  • December 10, 2026
Location:
285 Preston Avenue, Meriden, CT 06450

De-Escalation for Safer Outcomes: Practical Strategies for Law Enforcement

This one-day training seminar, scheduled for Thursday, December 10, 2026, from 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., takes place at the Connecticut Police Academy located at 285 Preston Avenue in Meriden, Connecticut 06450. The program is delivered through a partnership between the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection's Police Officer Standards and Training Council Field Services Training Division and the Eastern Region De-escalation Training Center at the University of New Haven.

Instruction is provided by qualified trainers from the Eastern Region De-escalation Training Center. The course aligns with the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act (LEDTA) and equips law enforcement professionals with practical, evidence-based techniques to manage conflict, crisis, and high-stress situations safely and effectively. Participants explore effective communication methods, de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention approaches, critical decision-making, legal and policy frameworks, trauma-informed response strategies, community resource partnerships, and officer wellness practices. These integrated skills aim to improve safety for both officers and community members, minimize use-of-force occurrences, and build stronger community relationships.

Training Topics Include:

  • Evidence-Based De-Escalation Strategies: Participants learn a standardized, research-driven methodology for de-escalation that promotes safer results for law enforcement and the public.
  • Critical Decision-Making Under Pressure: Officers strengthen their capacity to assess situations and make sound decisions by integrating Critical Decision-Making (CDM) frameworks, ICAT-informed concepts, and ethical leadership approaches.
  • Effective Crisis Recognition and Response: Participants develop skills to identify and respond appropriately to individuals experiencing mental health challenges, substance use issues, trauma histories, developmental disabilities, or medical crises.
  • Advanced Tactical Communication Skills: Training builds capability in active listening, empathy, rapport development, disagreement management, spoken and unspoken communication, and methods to influence behavior constructively.
  • Officer Wellness and Collaborative Public Safety: The program strengthens personal resilience, emotional control, and stress reduction techniques while teaching officers to work effectively alongside mental health specialists and community-based services to resolve crises and support lasting change.

Enrollment is capped at twenty (20) participants. Interested officers must submit a registration form via the Acadis portal no later than Thursday, November 19, 2026. For additional information or questions, contact the Field Services Training Division at post.fieldservices@ct.gov.

There is no tuition charge for this course. Participants may purchase lunch at nearby dining establishments. The standard uniform Dress Code outlined in POST In-Service training General Notice 23-02 is mandatory, and training supervisors are requested to ensure that all assigned personnel are informed of and comply with these dress requirements.

Training Credit Hours

  • Area 312 De-Escalation (6 hours)