Report explores current industry practices surrounding crisis management training and its effects on the clinical confidence of behavioral health practitioners

Relias, the trusted education and workforce enablement partner to 12,000 healthcare and human services organizations and 4.5 million caregivers, today announced the release of its 2024 Behavioral Health Crisis Management Training Report, revealing a concerning gap — while behavioral health practitioners who receive crisis management training more than once a year report the highest confidence in handling crises, the majority (69%) only receive training annually.

The report shares insights gathered from 8,801 behavioral health practitioners, a notable increase from the 3,555 surveyed in the 2022 edition. It unveils current trends on how organizations handle crisis management training, including key takeaways and recommendations for industry leaders.

Findings emphasized the importance of more frequent training, with those who trained more than once a year reporting the highest percentage (14%) of feeling “extremely confident” in their abilities. Ultimately, this increased confidence could translate to more effective interventions and improved patient care.

With opioid usage and suicide rates continuing to rise, the U.S. has reached a pivotal turning point in its response to behavioral health crises. According to 2021 data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 48,183 people died by suicide in the U.S., 12.3 million adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million adults made a plan to die by suicide, and 1.7 million people attempted suicide.

Suicide prevention is a vital part of any healthcare organization’s crisis management training, and ensuring practitioners feel confident in their abilities is essential.

“Effective crisis response begins with training,” said Lora Sparkman, MHA, BSN, RN, VP, Partner, Clinical Solutions, Patient Safety and Quality, Relias. “Topics like trauma-informed care, de-escalation, substance use prevention, and aftercare are ongoing issues that don’t disappear after an intervention — they require continuous management, much like a chronic disease. It’s also crucial for organizations to treat training as an ongoing process.”

The report also explores confidence levels of practitioners dealing with substance use disorder (SUD) crises, highlighting notable variations. When narrowing the focus to practitioners who work for organizations responding to individuals experiencing a crisis related to SUDs, only 38% of these practitioners reported feeling “very to extremely confident” in their ability to mitigate an acute crisis involving substance use.

To help address these inconsistencies, the report emphasizes the importance of effective training. Both online and blended learning emerged as predominant methods, with 88% of practitioners reporting receiving their training in these formats. When asked what would increase their confidence in trauma-informed care, the number one answer from practitioners was more continuing education opportunities (60%), followed by a wider variety of training options (46%).

“At Relias, we’re committed to providing training methodologies that address the complex challenges behavioral health professionals actually face," said Sara Seidel Beall, LCMHC, Senior Product Manager, Behavioral Health, Relias. "Our approach integrates evidence-based, trauma-informed practices, as well as opportunities for clinical skill application. The goal is to empower behavioral health teams to build and maintain the skills they need to effectively care for anyone in crisis.”

For access to the full report, visit Relias.com.

About Relias

Relias provides lifelong workforce enablement solutions for 12,000 healthcare and human services organizations and 4.5 million caregivers to drive measurable outcomes. Customers use Relias solutions to attract and retain talent, elevate care quality and reduce risk with our technology, services, community, and expertise. The Relias family of brands — Nurse.com, Wound Care Education Institute, Relias Academy, FreeCME, and Relias Media — serves the entire healthcare community and shares a common goal of improving the lives of the most vulnerable members of society and those who care for them.

Matter for Relias Abby Mayo, 617.272.0592 relias@matternow.com