Behavioral Emergencies

Dealing with people in crisis

 

Kris P. Moloney 

A Publication of 
Sheepdog Church Security 

© Copyright 2019 Sheepdog Church Security LLC.

All Rights Reserved. May be shared with copyright and credit left intact.

ABOUT SHEEPDOG
CHURCH SECURITY
Sheepdog Church Security serves
the Church by providing training
materials to part-time Church
Safety / Security Directors. We
give you the tools you need to
provide reputable and realistic
training to your Church Safety
Team members without your
having to spend hours researching
and developing courses from
scratch.
Our downloadable and
customizable training materials
were developed by painstakingly
researching nationally recognized
publications and consulting with
experts in church safety, crime
prevention, fire safety, pastoral
protection, security, and a number
of other fields of study. Our
training materials are perfect for
medium to small sized churches
with limited resources.
Protect your church with our
useful Safety Ministry Training
Bundles.
Visit our online store
Sheepdog Church Security, LLC
712 Maple Circle
Belle Plaine, MN 56011
612-470-7364 (call after 4pm)
Behavioral Emergencies
Dealing with people in crisis
A Resource of Sheepdog Church Security
Background
It seems our world has never been more
stressful. The 24-hour news cycle. Rising
intolerance of differing viewpoints.
Attacks against Christianity and other
religions. This stress can, and does, have
effects on individuals and can lead to a
behavioral emergency where the person
in crisis can be a threat to themselves and
others.
Causes of a behavioral emergency
One of the most important points to keep
in mind is that there are many things that
can trigger a behavioral emergency.
The obvious ones are personal issues;
death of a loved-one, divorce, job loss,
injury, and so forth. They can also come
from environmental events like major
storms, wildfires, and floods.
Others included drug and substance
abuse, mental illness, or a medial
condition either undiagnosed or
emergent because of failure to take
medication.
A significant cause of behavioral crises is
anxiety. It is estimated that 10% of
American adults suffer from anxiety and
may experience panic attacks and other
outward symptoms.
Often, the crisis is the result of
accumulated stressors and one day, the
proverbial straw and the camel’s back
happens, forcing the person into crisis.
© Copyright 2019 Sheepdog Church Security LLC.
All Rights Reserved. May be shared with copyright and credit left intact.
Symptoms of a potential
behavioral emergency
People will exhibit symptoms that they
are susceptible to a behavioral crisis.
These can be hard to spot and usually it is
only family and close friends who are in a
position to recognize them. They include:
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Scattered, unfocused thinking
• Self-doubt
• Loss of motivation
• Lack of patience or irritability
• Paranoia
Spotting these changes can be
challenging if they are gradual but can be
identified and corrective action taken.
When a person suffers a panic attack, the
onset can be rapid, though there are
symptoms:
• Extreme uneasiness and worry
• Agitation
• Restlessness
Signs that a person is having a panic
attack include:
• Racing or pounding heartbeat
• Heart palpations or an irregular
heartbeat
• Dizziness
• Tingling or numbness of the
fingers and mouth
• Uncontrollable shaking as though
the person is very cold and teeth
chattering
 • Shortness of breath
When an individual is in crisis, the symptoms are easy to spot:
• Anger
• Extreme agitation
• Paranoia
• Hallucination
The potential for violence
Perhaps the most severe aspect of a behavioral emergency is the possibility of violence and
subsequent harm to the sufferer and others. One article11 reports that nearly 70% of behavioral
emergencies result in injuries to someone through attempted assault and other actions. So, it is
vitally important that the situation is diffused as soon as possible.
Indications that a behavioral crisis is on the verge of becoming violent include:
• Pacing
• Yelling
• Making threats
• Clenched teeth or fists
Verbal de-escalation
When confronted with an individual exhibiting these symptoms, your Safety Team Members
need to respond quickly. They must clear people away from the individual and, maintaining a
safe distance, begin to engage that person verbally.
Your Team Member must remain calm, and speak directly to the individual in a conversational,
reassuring, non-threatening tone. Make and keep eye contact. Do not make sudden movements
that may be misinterpreted as an aggressive action.
A critical piece of advice is never to tell a person to calm down, or some other similarly worded
phrase. This can trigger a more aggressive response. Engage in a dialog and slowly talk the
individual down. Ask questions. Answer the individual’s questions. The same report noted earlier
recommends not playing into a hallucination by saying you see what they see. Tell them you are
not experiencing the same thing.
Stay with the person at all times. Have another Team Member summon medical assistance and
stand ready as a backup. Once the crisis has passed, it is vital that the person seek further help.
Having verbal de-escalation is a crucial tool for your Safety Ministry for these stressful times.
Learn more
Sheepdog Church Security has an extensive set of resources on this, and other, church safety topics.
Contact us to learn how we can help maintain the peace and safety of your church and all who use it.

1
https://www.psychguides.com/guides/behavioral-emergencies/

Created by Sheepdog Church Security from the NAEYC Commitment Statement