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Operational Readiness: Opioid Use Disorder Crisis Training for Corrections |
Equipping Correctional Officers & Facility Staff with Practical Skills to Respond to Opioid Use Disorder & Co-occurring Conditions
As a corrections professional, you face the ongoing challenges of managing individuals who may struggle with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and co-occurring Mental Health (MH) conditions while maintaining order, safety, and security. This four-hour, online, self-paced course is designed specifically for correctional officers, supervisors, and facility staff to strengthen your ability to respond safely, effectively, and professionally to OUD-related incidents within custody settings. Learn proven strategies for de-escalation, recognizing signs of OUD, reducing risk, and connecting individuals to appropriate care and recovery resources.
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This course prepares correctional professionals to confidently address the reality of the opioid crisis inside corrections facilities. With opioid-related incidents increasing nationwide, correctional staff must be equipped with practical, trauma-informed strategies that support both safety and rehabilitation. Across four focused modules, you’ll explore OUD fundamentals, co-occurring mental health conditions, overdose prevention and response, legal considerations, and de-escalation tactics designed for correctional settings.
By applying the CARE approach – Calm the Scene, Assess Behavior and Intent, Respond with Empathy and Structure, Engage Support and Follow Up – you’ll learn to manage high-stress encounters more effectively, strengthen communication, and foster a safer, more stable facility environment. |
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Each module builds essential skills for handling OUD-related incidents and behavioral health challenges in custody. Using the CARE framework as a guide – Calm the scene and lower tensions, Assess behavior and intent, Respond with empathy and structure, Engage support and follow up - this course delivers real-world, actionable techniques for calming volatile situations, communicating with empathy and professionalism, and supporting recovery-based responses within the correctional environment.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Recognize signs of OUD and co-occurring mental health conditions among individuals in custody.
- Understand how behavioral health challenges impact safety, stability, and rehabilitation.
- Respond effectively to overdose and withdrawal emergencies within a facility.
- Apply trauma-informed communication and de-escalation strategies appropriate for correctional settings.
- Collaborate with internal and external partners to connect individuals to treatment and recovery resources.
- Develop a CARE-based action plan for safe, structured crisis response.
Included is the Operational Readiness: OUD Power-Pack for Corrections, featuring the course workbook, scenario-based exercises, eBooks, posters, quick-reference guides, and templates – all designed to reinforce learning and support everyday practice long after course completion.
Module 1 - Calm: Understanding OUD & Co-occurring Conditions Behind the Walls
Gain a clear understanding of OUD and the unique challenges it presents in custody. Learn how co-occurring mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and PTSD influence behavior and how early recognition can prevent escalation.
Module 2 - Assess: Recognizing Risk & Reading Behavior
Sharpen your skills in recognizing the physical and behavioral signs of opioid use disorder and withdrawal. Practice assessing situations more clearly and avoiding common misinterpretations that can lead to unnecessary confrontation. Learn practical techniques to slow things down, use what you observe, and make safer, more informed decisions in the moment.
Module 3 - Respond: Best Practices for Facility Collaboration
Explore why communication can make the difference between escalation and resolution. Learn how tone, body language, and instructions shape outcomes in high-stress situations. Discover one of the biggest traps officers face – power struggles – and apply calm, clarity, and leadership in practice.
Module 4 - Engage: Practical Application & Resource Utilization
Learn how to take CARE one step further — by engaging support, ensuring continuity of care, and strengthening the culture of your team. Focus on when and how to involve medical, mental health, or reentry specialists, and why what happens after a crisis matters just as much as what happens during it. Learn how CARE extends beyond individuals in crisis — it also applies to your colleagues and your facility culture.
