"The simulated experience allowed myself and the team to learn the needs of Robbie by reading her body language, allowing her to drive the conversation, practice open-ended questions, and work on techniques to deescalate Robbie. 

Simulated trainings are valuable for individuals working in behavioral health and crisis care because they have to know how to meet individuals where they are and be compassionate and empathetic so that the individual feels safe to speak with them. The training helped me identify triggers that "Robbie" had and because of the reaction I received, I was able to retract my steps and deescalate Robbie."

- Briana Pili, Cultural Peer Support Specialist II

"The UAA School of Social Work has been collaborating with the UAA College of Health Interprofessional Simulation Center for over ten years, primarily to develop and offer interactive learning opportunities to BSW and MSW students in specific practice courses. The COH Interprofessional Simulation Center is so incredibly skilled, helpful, and accommodating with assisting programs in designing, implementing, facilitating, and evaluating simulation experiences for students. The Peer-Centered Crisis Response simulation (supported by the State of Alaska and the Alaska Mental Health Trust) is a meaningful and feasible experience due to the efforts and support of the COH Interprofessional Simulation staff!

The Peer-Centered Crisis Response training is valuable for everyone who is interested--behavioral health professionals, administrative staff, students from any/all backgrounds, community members and leaders, representatives from varied social services--truly anyone!

"I learned what I do in actual life is actually what I practice in real life, and recognizing how important the peer support role is. I feel the simulation was important to get us out of our comfort zone and be able to face real life crisis."

- Ronald K Shugak, Cultural Peer Support

"I learned a lot from this simulation. It is very important to stay calm and keep peace of mind while addressing these situations. I learned a new calming technique, featuring tracing your hand with your index finger while practicing calm breathing. It was good to simulate working with other departments and community resources. This really draws the attention to the need-to-know resources and complete the proper networking so that we can serve the person in need. It re-enforced the concept of keeping true to your word and carrying through with promises to keep repour with the client.

Simulation trainings are vital for people working in behavioral health and crisis care. These trainings help us learn what to do during these situations. The simulation gives us the space to make mistakes, without resulting in a terrible outcome for the client. Without this training and proper preparation, these situations could go horrifically when happening in real time.  Simulation's give us the comfort and ease to practice our skills, and have gives us the confidence to address these situations when they occur with grace.

"This Peer Centered Crisis Response simulation experience intends to provide a safe learning environment for members of crisis response teams to collaboratively engage in their unique roles with community members in crisis who need supportive, compassionate, and least restrictive interventions and services. These trainings are offered virtually 1-2x a month through May 2024.

Our hope is to provide exposure to the Crisis Now Model Framework and the value of peer support specialists on a mobile crisis team. This simulation also offers each attendee to role play a real life situation working with an individual in crisis, awareness of how each attendee responds to an individual in crisis, reduce stigma in roles interacting with first responders, effective debriefing and awareness of how they feel after the crisis, increase confidence in their skill set, and how each role on a crisis team is interchangeable and effective."

"Working with the COH Simulation Center staff was easy and informative. They asked a number of questions to make sure what we planned together would meet the needs/outcomes of our participants. This was a great experience where we were able to introduce high-school aged youth to healthcare skills and careers through some hands-on experiences, rather than a lecture.

We had to go back and forth a couple times making sure we were clear and on the same page, but they were helpful and easy to work with. COH Sim Center seemed genuinely interested in making sure our needs/outcomes were met and that they provided an experience that would meet the wide variety of participants we brought. To my understanding, our brains remember and recall information better when it is attached to some sort of experience or emotional trigger. Simulation provides experiences (and sometimes well-placed triggers) that provoke emotions and learning. 

"Simulation center was great at coordinating a standardized performer for a legal client interview. The performer they found was wonderful. I drafted the interview text, but the simulation center coordinated pre-meetings with the performer and asked good questions on content and logistics. Simulations are more engaging for students and give them valuable experience for when they enter the workforce."