This one-hour Town Hall session introduces staff to the fundamentals of de-escalation and equips them with practical tools to prevent, respond to, and reduce the risk of workplace violence. Participants will gain an understanding of how awareness, communication, and proven strategies can defuse tense encounters before they escalate.

Speaker: Cosmo Rowell, Master Instructor, AVADE Training

For Zoom information, please contact Lauren Wheatley at KHA at lwheatley@kyha.com.

Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the importance of situational awareness and identify early warning signs of potential escalation.
• Apply body language, tone of voice, and word choice to effectively calm others.
• Demonstrate practical de-escalation techniques that support safety and professionalism.
• Identify personal triggers and practice strategies to maintain self-control under stress.
• Explain AVADE’s proactive approach to prevention, safety, and risk mitigation.

Target Audience: Hospital employees who engage with patients, HR and safety leaders, and other hospital leaders who manage and help with workplace violence prevention.

Continuing Education: The Kentucky Hospital Association is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Kentucky Board of Nursing (KBN). KBN approval of a continuing nursing education provider does not constitute endorsement of program content. This educational activity is offered for 1.2 contact hours, with offering number 5-0023-12-25-051, expiration date 12/31/2025. No partial credit will be given. To receive credit, participants must attend the entire educational offering, provide their nursing license number, and complete the offering evaluation. After the conclusion of this webinar, an evaluation link will be sent to attendees. Attendees will have a deadline of November 5, 2025 to complete the survey in order to receive the CEU certificate. Failure to complete any step in the process outlined above will result in non-issuance of CEU credit in accordance with KBN guidelines.

The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) have approved 1 credit hour for the Kentucky Hospital Association’s Town Hall on Workplace Violence Prevention: The Importance of De-escalation.