Situational Guidelines

Not sure how to handle a specific situation? Our situational guidelines can help you navigate through situations you may encounter.

You may find yourself in an emergency or non-emergency situation. Here’s how you can tell the difference.

In an emergency, respond right away for the sake of someone’s health and well-being.
Immediately figure out the best way to intervene. Get others involved and be clear and direct with any requests.
Call for help if you need it. Remember, the Department Public Safety is only a quick phone call away at (413) 748-5555.

In non-emergency situations, take time to figure out how to respond.
Interrupt, distract, and/or delay a situation that you think might be problematic, before it becomes an emergency. Non-emergencies can turn into emergencies quickly, so have a backup plan ready.
Determine the goal of the intervention. What do you want to have as an outcome? Is your goal realistic? A lot of times people need to hear something over and over before they seek help.
Think about and practice what you want to say. Be prepared for a negative reaction. People can feel attacked when confronted and can get angry and defensive. Assure them that you care about them.
Use your resources. Maybe you’d prefer that the coach have a hard conversation with them. That’s OK–by getting someone else involved, you’re still doing something.