UPCOMING TRAININGS

June 18th, 2024 All Day

Presenter: Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

In their description of Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, Slate Magazine said, “Grossman cuts such a heroic, omnicompetent figure, he could have stepped out of a video game.” He has five patents to his name, has published four novels, two children’s’ books, and six non-fiction books to include his “perennial bestseller” On Killing (with over half a million copies sold), and a New York Times best-selling book co-authored with Glenn Beck.

He is a US Army Ranger, a paratrooper, and a former West Point Psychology Professor. He has a Black Belt in Hojutsu, the martial art of the firearm, and has been inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Col. Grossman’s research was cited by the President of the United States in a national address, and he has testified before the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Congress, and numerous state legislatures. He has served as an expert witness and consultant in state and Federal courts. He helped train mental health professionals after the Jonesboro school massacre, and he was also involved in counseling or court cases in the aftermath of the Paducah, Springfield, Littleton and Nickel Mines Amish school massacres.

Col. Grossman has been called upon to write the entry on “Aggression and Violence” in the Oxford Companion to American Military History, three entries in the Academic Press Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict and has presented papers before the national conventions of the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Since his retirement from the U.S. Army in 1998, he has been travelling full time as one of our nation’s leading trainers for military, law enforcement, mental health providers, and school safety organizations.

Today Col. Grossman is the director of Grossman On Truth, LLC (www.GrossmanOnTruth.com). In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he has written and spoken extensively on the terrorist threat, with articles published in the Harvard Journal of Law and Civil Policy and many leading law enforcement journals, and he has been inducted as a “Life Diplomate” by the American Board for Certification in Homeland Security, and a “Life Member” of the American College of Forensic Examiners Institute.

Presentation Title: Safe Schools and Healthy Students

This is a fact filled presentation based on the most recent school safety research and offering vital response technologies for any audience of caring teachers, school officials, and parents.

We must protect the children who have been entrusted to our care. That means facing some uncomfortable facts, including violent children, terrorists, and the lagging security systems when something does happen. Taking into context the tragedies of school massacres from Jonesboro to Columbine, Sandy Hook to Uvalde, Lt. Col. Grossman outlines a series of strategies to help keep our kids safe, including immediate and long-term solutions.

June 19th, 2024 8 am – 12 pm

Presenter: Angelo DelliSanti

Angelo is a seasoned educator and Leadership Solutions Strategist at Capturing Kids’ Hearts. With over 15 years in Education, he’s been a teacher, assistant principal, and principal.

After teaching World History, he jumped into administration, embracing the transformative process of Capturing Kids’ Hearts. For the next decade, relationships were the foundation of his leadership, bringing academic achievement, increased scholarship numbers, and top-notch results on various school climate and culture measures. In 2018, Angelo was received Principal of the Year honors by his district.

Angelo’s journey began at UNC-Charlotte, where he earned a degree in History and Secondary Education as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow. He also earned a Master’s Degree in School Administration and has completed all the coursework for a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the same institution.

In 2022, Angelo officially joined the Capturing Kids’ Hearts team with the mission of “Bringing Out the Best in People.”

Presentation Title: Capturing Kids’ Hearts Winning Cultures

June 19th, 2024 1 pm – 3 pm

Presenter: Justin and Rebecca Smith

Justin and Rebecca Smith founded Crisis Canines of the Midlands in 2022. Justin serves as a Paramedic with Critical Care Endorsement, and is the handler for Crisis Response Therapy dogs K9 Glory and K9 Marshal. Rebecca is a veterinarian and co-owner of Midland Prairie Veterinary Services.  Their mission is to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of Crisis Response Therapy Dog teams in First Responder agencies, so that these teams may provide Animal Assisted Crisis Response within their communities to support the mental health of individuals affected by, and responding to, crises and disasters.

June 20th, 2024 8 am – 10 pm

Presenters:

Aimee Schuppe, Ed.S, NCSP

With 14 years of dedicated service as a School Psychologist, Aimee Schuppe, Ed.S, NCSP, has navigated various roles. Currently serving as the Social Emotional Behavioral Mental Health Regional Lead at Heartland Area Education Agency, she supports professional development initiatives across 11 school districts.

As an SEBMH Regional Lead, Aimee is passionate about destigmatizing mental health and fostering understanding of neuroscience. Her commitment is evident in her role, where she guides districts in developing a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). Through this framework, she focuses on building positive student-student and adult-student relationships, imparting crucial Social Emotional skills, and ensuring comprehensive support across all tiers of MTSS.

Stacy Warren

Stacey Warren, is a Clinical Level Social Worker with over 20 years of experience, her professional journey has taken her across the country, practicing psychotherapy in the school setting as a Behavioral Health Specialist in Hawaii, and Therapist Clinical Supervisor on the border of Mexico. She has also served in various MH provider roles in settings such as detention centers, residential facilities, and hospitals.

Her professional passion revolves around mental health, with a particular focus on prevention and postvention for suicidality. In her current role as SEBMH Regional Lead for Heartland AEA, serving 11 school districts, she is deeply committed to building comprehensive mental health systems within schools.

Presentation Title: Understanding Trauma and Its Impact

In this session, participants will deepen their understanding of trauma in a comprehensive and inclusive manner. Designed specifically for law enforcement professionals working in a school setting, this session aims to equip attendees with essential knowledge and tools to navigate the intricate dynamics of trauma within both individuals and communities.

This session is not merely about theory; it’s aimed at empowering law enforcement professionals to enhance their ability to navigate the complexities of trauma. Participants will leave with a heightened awareness, practical skills, and a renewed commitment to integrating trauma-informed approaches into their daily work, fostering a safer and more compassionate community.

June 20th, 2024 10 am – 12 pm

Presenter: Sergeant Jeremy Sprague

Sergeant Jeremy Sprague has 20 years’ experience in law enforcement. For the past 18 years Sergeant Sprague has worked for the Des Moines Police Department. He has served in different roles throughout his career. He has served as a patrol supervisor, 911 communication supervisor, traffic supervisor, incident commander, fire/arson investigator, death investigations, financial/fraud investigator, firearms instructor, academy training instructor, field training officer, hostage negotiator, public relations, and keynote speaker.

Sergeant Sprague forged new paths in the public safety mental health field. He created a peer support model and began the first peer support team in the state of Iowa for the DMPD. He designed new and innovative training for public safety professional’s in mental health.

In 2016, Sergeant Sprague was the Peer Support Coordinator when the Des Moines Police Department suffered the loss of three officers. Two officers tragically died in a vehicle crash when an intoxicated driver stuck them head-on on the interstate. The third officer was ambushed and killed along with another metro area officer while sitting in their patrol cars. Sergeant Sprague led the massive peer support response for the departments 500 employees during all three line-of-duty deaths.

In 2017, Sergeant Sprague expanded the peer support model and founded the Peer Support Foundation. The Peer Support Foundation is a non-profit organization that trains first responders throughout the Midwest on peer support topics and Critical Incident Stress Management. The foundation also serves as a resource to first responders and their agencies to help them during times of crisis.

Sergeant Sprague holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management Administration. He is an instructor for the International Critical Incident Stress foundation and also holds a certificate in Critical Incident Stress Management from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Presentation Title: When the Smoke Clears – Building the Resilient First Responder

The presenter will share personal life experiences of multiple officer-involved-shootings, LODD’s, police suicides, and other traumas that impacted his 20-year career. The course will discuss the how participants can survive a lifelong career of being a first responder. First Responders are exposed to many unique stressors that can affect their professional and personal lives. This course will discuss hypervigilance, critical incident survival, officer wellness, and the three R’s (resistance, resiliency, and recovery). It will discuss the stress and common psychological reactions including PTSD. The participants will leave the class with an understanding the building blocks becoming a resilient law enforcement officer.

Course Objectives:

• Understand the personality of a first responder.
• Understand how hypervigilance affects the first responder.
• Learn the three R’s of CISM
• Identify common psychological reactions including PTSD
• Learn wellness building blocks to help survive the career as a first responder.