The transition to a new calendar year is traditionally a time for reflecting on the past and setting intentions about how to move forward. It is a particularly interesting time to consider crisis prevention, intervention, and de-escalation. We have been though a lot: as a movement, within our agencies, with one another. We’ve needed to manage our emotions in the face of overwhelming circumstances as we center survivors in all we do.

With resources inequitably distributed and often entirely inaccessible to those most in need of support, people in crisis have come to us in increasingly desperate circumstances. Particularly in shelter settings in our state and beyond, we are faced with escalating emotions and behaviors from those we are here to support which require an approach that is immensely compassionate under extremely challenging conditions. In this issue of Spotlight, we offer materials on this topic from our recent webinar series, Supporting Survivors at the Intersections: Trauma, Mental Health, and SUD. We include: polyvagal theory, conflict styles, crisis planning, and risk/crisis/de-escalation.

In a new year, we look to the latest offerings from across disciplines to guide us in our resolute commitment to being alongside survivors – particularly those marginalized – as we move through individual and collective times of crisis, together.