People being served by housing and behavioral health systems  are nearly always managing heightened stressors and chronic trauma that can easily overwhelm their ability to cope and can quickly lead to crisis. Given the history, motivations, and specific events that lead to a crisis, each crisis situation a helper may encounter will be unique, and much will be outside of our control. We do have control over our own preparation, internal responses, and trauma-informed strategies to support people in de-escalating. This session will explore the spaces before, after, and between the actual de-escalation strategies, as well as provide concrete tools to have in our toolbox. Critically, helpers must understand which strategy is the best fit for the moment and quickly apply it in order to maintain the highest level of safety possible. We will invite attendees to practice applying interventions to a range of examples.