As the word spread about the trainings, the authors realized the magnitude of the work needing to be done and began recruiting other speech-language pathologists and relevant stakeholders to take the trainings to their communities. In order to facilitate this and make the task less daunting, the authors created a website that contains all of the training materials they use. This website for First Responders Augmentative/Alternative Communication is www.fraac.com and includes the PowerPoint lecture with the videos embedded, scenarios for role-playing, and a step-by-step instructional guide on how to contact departments and conduct trainings. Additionally, a sample training was filmed and added to the website so that people interested in offering training could see it being done before doing it themselves. Other resources rel- evant to the topic have also been added to the website. All mate- rials are free to download and use. While we offer these materials for others to use, we readily acknowledge that our way of doing things is not the only way for EFRs to learn this information. We encourage others who download the materials to revise them to best suit their own personalities and presentation style. We also encourage them to create their own videos so that EFRs may get a glimpse of individuals with CCN who live in their neighborhood. This familiarity may help the EFRs when working within an actual emergency. There is still a lot of work to be done and we continue to en- courage people to join us in the effort to improve communication skills between first responders and individuals with CCN. This is not the only profession where this training needs to be imple- mented though. Plans are in the works to educate medical and legal staff as well in an effort to meet the needs of the individual with CCN following the acute emergency. CITATIONS Bureau of Justice Statistics. (n.d.). Rate of Victimizations by Crime Type, 2021. Generated using the NCVS Dashboard (N-DASH) at www.bjs.ojp.gov. August 7, 2023. Bryen, D. N., Carey, A., & Frantz, B. (2003). Ending the silence: Adults who use augmentative communication & their experiences as victims of crimes. Augmentative & Alternative Communication, 19(2), 125-134. https://doi. org/10.1080/0743461031000080265 Harrell, E. (2021). Crime against persons with disabilities, 2009- 2019: Statistical tables. U.S. Department of Justice: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1-18.
ical, mental, sexual, and other) where the other person present may be a caregiver, “friend,” or family member and yet may be the perpetrator. Anecdotally, the three groups (law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical workers) were noted to have varying de- grees of engagement at the beginning of the trainings. (Note that typically in the state of Indiana, firefighters also receive training in emergency medical services.) While firefighters and members of the emergency medical services group responded as more openly accepting of the information, law enforcement officers remained fairly detached as noted by their postures of leaning back in their chairs, little note taking, and folded arms. When the crime statis- tics were introduced, the law enforcement officers leaned forward and became more openly engaged in the presented material. By the end of the in-service the vast majority of the EFRs expressed having learned skills that would help them in emergency situa- tions with this specific population. Eight role-playing scenarios were developed based on sto- ries and situations discussed with a police officer and firefighter known to the authors. In these scenarios, one EFR is given the part of the “responding officer.” This participant receives only what an officer would receive over the emergency radio from the dispatcher. Generally, this information is fairly minimal. Another participant plays the role of the “victim.” The victim, of course has the bulk of the information and may or may not have a communi- cation system in order to respond to the officer’s questions. The purpose for the role playing is for the responding officer to deter- mine the full extent of the situation and assist the victim in a pru- dent manner. The responding officer has to respond creatively in some situations, ask appropriate questions and take the time to “listen” to the nonverbal victim. It was during the role-playing exercises that the EFRs often realized the gravity of using good communication strategies with this population. Following the role-playing scenarios, a short debriefing takes place to review the highlights of the training material. EFRs are encouraged to share their experiences with the whole group, in- cluding their successes and difficulties. They are also encouraged to ask any questions they have, and from these questions, the training program has undergone several revisions so that EFRs re- ceive the most critical and beneficial information as possible. The scenarios proved to be beneficial as the participants worked to find suitable solutions to the situations. One officer stated that he wished he had had the training a few weeks earlier as he respond- ed to a similar call to his scenario. During another in-service, the EFRs asked about transporting a motorized wheelchair if it is left at the scene of an accident. Despite the professional knowledge the presenters have, this question was baffling and the present- ers offered to research the question to provide the most accurate information possible. In this instance, the appropriate resources were found and shared with the inquiring department, in addi- tion to adding the newly discovered information to the existing training program.
5
December, 2023 / January, 2024 | www.closingthegap.com/membership
BACK TO CONTENTS
Closing The Gap © 2024 Closing The Gap, Inc. All rights reserved.
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator