BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//ChamberMaster//Event Calendar 2.0//EN METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:P3D REFRESH-INTERVAL:P3D CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260527T150000Z DTEND:20260527T161500Z X-MICROSOFT-CDO-ALLDAYEVENT:FALSE SUMMARY:Partner Program: Caring for Clients\, Yourself\, and Each Other: Practical De-escalation & Communication Tools for Direct Service Staff DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This is a partner program through the National Council of Nonprofits\, not hosted by Nonprofit Connect. \n\n \n\nJoin us for a practical\, skills-focused limited series on de-escalation in critical conversations\, designed to support direct service staff in safely navigating high-emotion\, high-stakes interactions.\n\nDate/Time:\n\nSession 1: May 20\, 2026 11am 12:15pm\n\nSession 2: May 27\, 2026 11am 12:15pm\n\nSession 1 (75 minutes) 5/20/26\n\nDe-escalation in Critical Conversations: Staying Safe in High-Emotion Situations\n\nIn moments of heightened fear\, uncertainty\, and disruption such as the current climate of increased immigration enforcement and rapid policy shifts direct service nonprofit staff are often asked to hold space for intense emotions\, deliver difficult updates\, and respond when clients are scared\, angry\, or overwhelmed. This interactive webinar focuses on how to stay steady\, safe\, and effective in critical conversations with others when the stakes feel high and solutions may be limited.\n\nDesigned specifically for nonprofit staff in direct service roles\, this session will focus on practical de escalation strategies and communication tools for navigating emotionally charged interactions. Participants will explore how to communicate clearly and compassionately\, reduce escalation\, and help people feel heard even when the answer is "no\," "not yet\," or "I don't know."\n\nThe emphasis is on real world application: what to do and say in the moment\, how to maintain safety\, and how to respond when fear\, grief\, anger\, or urgency are driving the conversation.\n\nThis session will cover:\n\n\n Practical de escalation techniques for tense or emotionally charged situations\n Strategies for navigating conversations shaped by fear\, uncertainty\, or systemic harm\n How to deliver hard news or limited updates with clarity and care\n What it means to "help" when there is nothing concrete to offer and how presence still matters\n Recognizing escalation early and redirecting before situations become unsafe\n\n\nParticipants will leave with clear tools\, shared language\, and increased confidence in their ability to engage in difficult external conversations while prioritizing safety\, dignity\, and respect.\n\nAudience:\n\nNonprofit staff in direct service roles\, including frontline staff\, case managers\, advocates\, support specialists\, and supervisors.\n\n\n\nAlex Lehning: Alex is a neurodivergent rostered psychotherapist (and Scorpio!) who brings a compassionate and human-centered approach to his work with clients. He has also been a staff member\, volunteer\, and board member at non-profits for over a decade\, and personally knows how hard it is to separate personal and professional identities and center self-care over self-sacrifice. Currently\, he is a VT Rostered Psychotherapist & Clinical Mental Health Intern completing his MA in Counseling at Vermont State University in May 2025. He also serves as the Executive Director of a Vermont nonprofit. Outside of his practice\, he plays music and games and is a suicide prevention volunteer. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

NOTE: This is a partner program through the National Council of Nonprofits\, not hosted by Nonprofit Connect. \;
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Join us for a practical\, skills-focused limited series on de-escalation in critical conversations\, designed to support direct service staff in safely navigating high-emotion\, high-stakes interactions.

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Date/Time:

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Session 1: May 20\, 2026 \; \;11am &ndash\; 12:15pm
\nSession 2: May 27\, 2026 \; \;11am &ndash\; 12:15pm

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Session 1 (75 minutes) &ndash\; 5/20/26

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De-escalation in Critical Conversations: Staying Safe in High-Emotion Situations

\n\n

In moments of heightened fear\, uncertainty\, and disruption&mdash\;such as the current climate of increased immigration enforcement and rapid policy shifts&mdash\;direct service nonprofit staff are often asked to hold space for intense emotions\, deliver difficult updates\, and respond when clients are scared\, angry\, or overwhelmed. This interactive webinar focuses on how to stay steady\, safe\, and effective in critical conversations with others when the stakes feel high and solutions may be limited.

\n\n

Designed specifically for nonprofit staff in direct service roles\, this session will focus on practical de‑\;escalation strategies and communication tools for navigating emotionally charged interactions. Participants will explore how to communicate clearly and compassionately\, reduce escalation\, and help people feel heard&mdash\;even when the answer is &ldquo\;no\,&rdquo\; &ldquo\;not yet\,&rdquo\; or &ldquo\;I don&rsquo\;t know.&rdquo\;

\n\n

The emphasis is on real‑\;world application: what to do and say in the moment\, how to maintain safety\, and how to respond when fear\, grief\, anger\, or urgency are driving the conversation.

\n\n

This session will cover:

\n\n\n\n

Participants will leave with clear tools\, shared language\, and increased confidence in their ability to engage in difficult external conversations while prioritizing safety\, dignity\, and respect.

\n\n

Audience:

\n\n

Nonprofit staff in direct service roles\, including frontline staff\, case managers\, advocates\, support specialists\, and supervisors.
\n
\nAlex Lehning: Alex is a neurodivergent rostered psychotherapist (and Scorpio!) who brings a compassionate and human-centered approach to his work with clients. He has also been a staff member\, volunteer\, and board member at non-profits for over a decade\, and personally knows how hard it is to separate personal and professional identities and center self-care over self-sacrifice. Currently\, he is a VT Rostered Psychotherapist &\; Clinical Mental Health Intern completing his MA in Counseling at Vermont State University in May 2025. He also serves as the Executive Director of a Vermont nonprofit. Outside of his practice\, he plays music and games and is a suicide prevention volunteer.

\n LOCATION:Virtual UID:e.9142.10646 SEQUENCE:3 DTSTAMP:20260511T195145Z URL:https://info.npconnect.org/events/details/partner-program-caring-for-clients-yourself-and-each-other-practical-de-escalation-communication-tools-for-direct-service-staff-10646 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR