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Resources: 

  • Lavoie, J., Alvarez, N., Martin, K., Coleman, T., Girard, M., & Kandil, Y. (2025). De-escalating Persons in Crisis Competencies Tool (DePICTTM) 2025 Coding Manual. Lavoie, J., Alvarez, N., Martin, K., Coleman, T. Girard, M. & Kandil, Y. 

  • Lavoie, J., Alvarez, Kandil, Y., & Whittingham, L. (2025). Mental health crisis response (MHCR) applied training and education program: Facilitation Guide. Lavoie, J., Alvarez, N., Kandil, Y. 

Research Publications: 

  • Lavoie, J. A., Alvarez, N., Martin, K., Girard, M. & Coleman, T. (2025). A trans-disciplinary approach to assessing police responses to mental health crisis: Development of the De-escalating Persons in Crisis Competencies Tool (DePICT). Frontiers in Psychology-Psychology for Clinical Settings, 16. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1586502/abstract

  • Alvarez, A., Hodge, G., Lavoie, J., et al. (2025). Choreographies of power: De-habituating officer presence in scenario-based, de-escalation training. In Power Moves: Dance, Culture, Politics. New Essays on Canadian Theatre. Edited by S. Boye & M.J. Thompson. Playwrights Canada Press. Paperback : 9780369103697. 

  • Muñoz, J. E., Lavoie, J. A., & Pope, A. T. (2024). Psychophysiological insights and user perspectives: Enhancing police de-escalation skills through full-body VR training. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1390677 

  • Lavoie, J., Alvarez, N., Baker, V., & Kohl, J. (2023). Training police to de-escalate mental health crisis situations: Comparing virtual reality and live-action scenario-based approaches. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 17. https://doi.org/10.1093/police/paad069 

  • Lavoie, J. A. A., Alvarez, N, & Kandil, Y. (2022). Developing community co-designed scenario-based de-escalation training for police mental health crisis response: A relational policing approach. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 37, 587-601. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-022-09500-2  

  • Alvarez, N. (2020). Stop. Rewind. Replay.: Performance, police training and mental health crisis response. Performance Research25(8), 69–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/13528165.2020.1930783 

  • Sanders, C. B., Lavoie, J. A. A. (2020). Boundary objects and technological frames: Officer’s perceptions and experiences with using mental health screeners on the frontline. Policing and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2020.1813140 

  • Lavoie, J. A. A. & Blandford, S. (2019). Police response to crisis involving suicide risk: Strategies for suicide intervention and prevention (pp. 223-244). In Canadian Perspectives: A Practical Approach to Mental Health Response for Police Personnel (Edited by Uzma Williams). Canadian Scholars. 

  • Shore, K. & Lavoie, J. A. A. (2019). Exploring mental health-related calls for police service: A Canadian study of police officers as “frontline mental health workers”. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 13 (2),157-171. DOI:10.1093/police/pay017 

  • Lavoie, J. A. A. (2018). Relative invisibility: An integrative review of carers’ lived experiences of a family member’s emergency mental health crisis. Social Work in Mental Health,16 (5) 601-626. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2018.1467845 

Podcasts 

Media Coverage and Interviews: 

Contact Us:

For assistance with implementation, instructor certification or scheduling: 

E: mhcr@wlu.ca

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