Counter assault techniques key to staff safety

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An Alberta's First Nation took advantage of a program that showed band employees how to respond to violent situations that could occur when dealing with people in crisis.

In late November, the day-and-a-half crisis intervention workshop held by Counter Assault Technologies of Edmonton instructed Enoch band employees in ways to defuse potentially volatile situations. It was welcome training, according to participants.

One of the students was Shawna Debruin. She receives phone calls and helps social work clients with application forms. She contends her employers felt she should get some defense training.

"Hopefully we won't have to use it," she said, but if she does need it, at least she'll be equipped to handle a crisis situation.

The training is not just self-defense training, however. It also teaches students to read situations.

"It was a lot about the environment we enter, what we need to watch for to determine if a person or situation might become violent, i.e. body language, voice pitch and so on," explained Debruin.

Band social worker Claudette Letendre has worked for Enoch for about 12 years and enjoyed the training.

"I've never had to defend myself," she said, though she admitted she does get into some pretty dicey situations at times. Fortunately, there's always been someone on hand, either a co-worker or someone else, to help defuse conflict, she said.

Nonetheless, it is a comfort to have the counter assault training, Letendre said.

"I was able to show my three daughters the techniques," she said.

Program co-ordinator Alex Pieterse claims the program is good for many different kinds of people, including police, social workers and school teachers. These people are in situations where they sometimes encounter violence, he explained.

Instructor Dale Kliparchuk contends that, "violence in society is becoming more and more prevalent," and it necessitates anyone who must deal with clients in policing, social work, or teaching to develop defense mechanisms.

"We're losing our way of coping with things. There's a lot more anger which is expressed through violence," said Kliparchuk.

"To detect potential violence defuses violent situations, and making adequate choices and responses to violence is important for workers," he said.

Kliparchuk said it is the responsibility of employers to provide training for workers who may be exposed to violence in the work place.

Kliparchuk said his firm is a multi-instructional company offering training from crisis intervention to security training.

Counter Assault Technologies works all across North America and has served the Lesser Slave Lake region, the Montana Band, some Edmonton companies that deal with reserves, Yellowhead Tribal Council members and the Treaty 6 area.