When a Patron is In Crisis: Mental Health Response Training

*Due to limited funding all library workers are limited to 2 course enrollments through CALL annually.

Important Notes:

• One live session on March 17 at 11 am
• Time Commitment: 16 hours

What approaches work to assist a patron experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis? How do you remain calm and approach the situation with care for the patron and yourself? In this course, you’ll learn how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use and identify if, when, and how to intervene.

You’ll gather practical ideas for connecting patrons to professional help and consider your own self-care needs during and after stressful situations. After taking this course, you’ll be more prepared to calmly and empathetically handle crisis situations with vulnerable populations.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe trauma and common mental health conditions.
• Recognize trauma-informed practices within the context of libraries.
• Describe the cycle of escalation.
• Apply specific skills to prevent escalation.
• Apply specific skills to deescalate a situation.
• Identify the limits of your role and appropriate referrals to community resources.
• Explain debriefing techniques for stressful situations.
• Select strategies to establish emotional boundaries for yourself in the workplace.

Course Outline:

Module 1: Understanding Mental Health and Incorporating Trauma-Informed Library Practices (Live Session; March 17, 2026, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm)

During this session, you will gain a non-clinical understanding of trauma and mental health so you can interpret patron behavior with empathy rather than fear or frustration. You’ll learn what trauma is (and isn’t) and about common mental health conditions that you may encounter in public libraries. During a safe and supportive live session, you’ll discuss how mental health and substance use conditions show up in your library spaces, and consider the value of supportive, non-judgmental responses to patrons in distress.

Module 2: Pre-Escalation Skills

In this asynchronous module, you will learn about the cycle of escalation and what to expect with patrons demonstrating stress responses and behavior related to mental health and substance use. This session focuses on how to prevent individuals from reaching a full escalation or crisis. Using a trauma-informed framework, you will discover how to support, rather than control, a situation while maintaining boundaries.

Module 3: Deescalation Skills & Options

Building upon the skills in the previous section, you will learn response techniques in situations after someone has become escalated. Further, you will also learn when to request assistance and how to utilize available community resources when a situation is beyond the scope of your ability in your role.

Module 4: Debriefing & Self-Care

In this final asynchronous module, you’ll consider your own well-being and the well-being of your co-workers during and after stressful encounters. You’ll learn how to debrief individually and with co-workers as a method to practice the skills you learned in previous modules. Additionally, you will identify ways in which to set emotional boundaries for yourself in the workplace, including strategies for preventing burnout.

Accessibility:

All video recordings feature auto captioning. Please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration if you require accommodations. We will make our best effort to support your needs.

Presenter: 

• Margaret Ann Paauw, PhD, LCSW, Assistant Professor, Eastern Michigan University
  Dr. Margaret Ann Paauw is an Assistant Professor at Eastern Michigan University, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and author. She has practiced social work since 2012, primarily with individuals experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, and serious mental illness. Dr. Paauw previously worked as a library social worker with the Chicago Public Library and was an active member of the Public Library Association’s Library Social Work Taskforce. She facilitated the library social work direct service call, co-authored A Trauma-Informed Framework for Supporting Patrons, and authored Navigating Difficult Situations in Public Libraries. Dr. Paauw has consulted on library social work partnerships and provided trauma-informed and de-escalation trainings to libraries across the country. Her research focuses on the efficacy of library social work partnerships and contributing evidence to support this growing practice.

CALL Training Partner for this Event: Library Journal

Track: Mental Health