Authentic Crisis Response: Bridging Personal Experience with Professional Practice

This presentation was part of the 6th Annual Mobile Mental Health Crisis Response Summit.

Drawing from over two decades of clinical counseling experience and personal insights into trauma and resilience, this interactive session explores the intersection of lived experience and professional crisis intervention. Through a conversational approach, we’ll examine how authentic engagement and cultural understanding create more effective crisis responses, offering participants practical tools that bridge theory with real-world application.

Learning Objectives: Integrate Cultural Responsiveness in Crisis Moments Apply evidence-based strategies for culturally informed crisis intervention, drawing from extensive experience working with diverse and historically underserved populations. Demonstrate how personal and cultural experiences enhance rather than hinder professional crisis response, particularly when working with marginalized communities. Build Authentic Connections During Crisis Implement trauma-informed approaches that balance immediate intervention needs with genuine human connection.

Utilize clinical expertise as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor to create safe spaces for crisis de-escalation while maintaining professional boundaries. Develop Sustainable Crisis Response Practices Apply comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment techniques that incorporate cultural context and individual experiences. Create effective intervention strategies that consider both immediate stabilization needs and long-term support, drawing from extensive clinical supervision experience.

Content Level: General level: Covers crisis response basics and terminology.|Advanced level: For experienced crisis responders diving deep into a topic.|Innovation: Designed to highlight new learnings, strategies or lines of thinking.|Keynote: Of interest to all attendees. Content is especially motivational or thought-provoking.

Presenter: Jimmie Heags Jr., MA, LSC, LPCC, ACS Certified, Consultant – Life-Examined, LLC

Bio: As a certified PREPaRE Workshop 2 trainer and Master Trainer for the Crisis Prevention Institute, Jimmie Heags Jr. brings extensive expertise in immediate mental health crisis interventions, trauma-informed crisis response strategies, and psychological trauma risk assessment, complemented by over 20 years of counseling experience and multiple professional licenses (LPCC, LSC, LADC).