By Lesley DeVoss—
MUNCIE, Ind.– An instructor sits at a computer console as a student stands in the center of the room, facing a wall with the projected video of a man with dementia. The man responds to the student volatilely. He’s having a difficult time adjusting to the world around him. The student, a member of the criminal justice program, has to think of the best way to de-escalate the situation. This simulation helps the student develop the skills they’ll need beyond the walls of the college.
That college is Ivy Tech Community College Muncie-Henry County and within these walls, the future is taking shape. Students have access to advanced technology that supports them in their pursuit of criminal justice, dementia care, nursing, psychology, abnormal psychology, education, social work, and other degrees. Instructors are trained in de-escalation techniques and are well-versed in how the subjects of the simulations would likely respond in numerous situations. Community partners to the college are invited to special training sessions with the same technology to increase their workforce’s abilities and awareness.
Recently, the college has installed a Situational Awareness Training Simulator that allows students and community partners to learn and hone their skills in responding to stressful and unpredictable situations through non-bias training. This simulator, located in the lower level of the John and Janice Fisher Building, provides hands-on virtual training in a safe environment. Simulations have been preloaded for situations involving dementia patients, mental health concerns, and non-lethal response training to dangerous situations. The simulations focus on verbal interaction with subjects.
Produced by Milo Range, the simulator is one of several that was demonstrated to the college by various companies. Through a cooperative approach with their community partners, the college made the decision based on the feedback and recommendations of the Ball State Police Department, Ball State University, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Muncie Police Department, Marion General Hospital Police Department, Grant County Sheriff’s Department, Muncie Police Merit Commission, Minister Ren’a Wagner (who also serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity and Belonging for Ivy Tech Community College Muncie-Henry County), Alisa Wells, Director of Community Engagement and Wraparound Services, and various other faculty and staff from Ivy Tech.
L-R: Lieutenant Andrew Payne leads a simulator training session as Larry Bledsoe participates. Photo by: Mike Rhodes
“Not only does the situational awareness training simulator allow our students to learn skills for de-escalation, but it allows us to involve our community partners through access to this technology and training,” William Glasser, Department Chair and Associate Professor of the School of Public Affairs and Social Services, said, We are partnering with many different community agencies in order to teach de-escalation techniques as well as provide an opportunity to deal with other areas that they may deal with on a daily basis, allowing them to learn how to deal with situations that can escalate rapidly if not dealt with properly.”
Glasser, a retired sergeant with the Grant County Sheriff’s Department, has a combined medical and law enforcement experience to fall back on when working with students and the college. He served on the force for 12 years, graduating from the 200th session of the FBI National Academy and remains a member of the FBI National Academy Associates. During his tenure with the sheriff’s department, Glasser served as a detective and co-director of a multijurisdictional drug task force, as well as an instructor.
Before joining the Grant County Sheriff’s Department, Glasser worked at Marion General Hospital, first as an emergency medical technician on the ambulance and then 8 years as a Paramedic.
As with Glasser’s combined experience in law enforcement and the medical field, the Situational Awareness Training Simulator provides a combined experience. Providing training in response for both law enforcement and health care students in de-escalation techniques for volatile situations. Often these situations can cause the responder to have a heightened response and the simulator allows time that is not provided in the real-world situations for the participant to try different methodologies in responding to the situation.
Holly Hudson, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, serves as an instructor utilizing the Situational Awareness Training Simulator. During her time as a correctional officer, Hudson noticed the need for improvement within the criminal justice system. She discovered that the only way she could make a difference was by being the difference. She returned to school and learned more about the justice system, attending Ivy Tech before transferring to earn her Criminal Justice/Criminology Bachelor’s Degree. Upon completion of her degree, Hudson began working for Ivy Tech as an adjunct instructor while continuing her education. She has since achieved her master’s degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in human behavior.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a corrections officer, but being afforded the opportunity to teach was a game changer. We really do change lives here!” Hudson said.
The Situational Awareness Simulator acts in accordance with Hudson’s view of the disconnect within in the criminal justice system. It allows students to see both sides of law enforcement. Students are engaged with individuals who are not necessarily violent but have been pushed to their limits. The students learn how to work through the individual’s needs and help them without the use of force. The simulator returns the human factor into the equation and provides a safe place for students and community partners to learn and hone their skills.
“Throughout my career in law and academia I have advocated that law enforcement, at all levels, needs to evolve into a profession for the benefit of the entire nation. We have seen evidence of that evolution occurring over the past thirty years through increasing requisite educational standards and other achievement-based expectations being imposed on those engaged in the field,” said Ron Henderson, Dean of the School of Public Affairs and Social Services, School of Health Sciences, and School of Education, “This advancing professionalism will not only provide leverage for those persons desiring to work in the field to prove their worth to the general public, but also lead to increased confidence and trust from the public for law enforcement specialists. This type of innovation and use of technology is further evidence of our commitment to imposing greater expectations on those who choose law enforcement as a career. I am quite proud of the small part in that evolution that I have played.”
Henderson has almost 30 years of experience as a licensed attorney. He served as a private attorney, a prosecuting attorney, and as an appointed judge in the Delaware County Circuit Court. His experience in the justice system has helped form how he teaches incoming criminal justice majors on how they should view their future profession.
The Situational Awareness Simulator can have new situations programmed into it as needed, allowing users to train in the lab often while having new unique situations arise with each simulation. While it was initially purchased for the School of Public Affairs and Social Services, the system will provide training for multiple schools of study throughout the Ivy Tech Community College Muncie-Henry County Campus. Students within the School of Health Sciences will be able to utilize the simulator for incidents at hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes, making it a valuable tool for future nurses, medical assistants, and certified nursing aids (CNAs). These simulations help students understand and learn how to interact with difficult patients, Alzheimer’s patients, and other medical situations that may arise that do not necessarily rely upon medical training.
The Situational Awareness Training Simulator at Ivy Tech Community College marks the new wave of future technology that will help and support students today, tomorrow, and beyond. To learn more about the School of Public Affairs and Social Services, go online to ivytech.edu/Muncie or send an email to askmuncie@ivytech.edu.
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College serves communities across Indiana, providing world-class education and driving economic transformation. It is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering high-value degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its communities, along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.
