Maximizing Limited Resources.
Elevating Frontline Practice.
When resources are limited, crisis teams need strategies that help them respond earlier, stabilize faster, and reduce reliance on higher-cost interventions. Crisis 365 was developed to do exactly that through an evidence-informed academy designed to equip crisis responders with the practical, trauma-responsive tools to meet national standards and save lives. The curriculum is closely aligned with SAMHSA's new Model Standards for Crisis Care Workers to help programs address these nationally recommended guidelines.
With 988 expansion and increasing demand, your frontline team needs more than just theory; they need a tactical roadmap. Our first cohort has successfully graduated, and the mission to support the crisis workforce continues.
The Winter 2027 Academy is officially open for registration. View the Winter curriculum to see what makes this skills-based training unique! Courses start at just $200!
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About the Program
Practical Tools for High-Stakes Moments Crisis 365 represents our next step in crisis care workforce development. Building on our nationally recognized crisis system work, this specialized academy is designed to strengthen the crisis workforce across all ages, roles, and service settings. Whether you are a frontline responder, a supervisor, or a system partner, Crisis 365 helps you build essential skills, deepen your practice, and connect with national leaders.
A Dedicated Workforce Development Hub While we are known for implementation-focused initiatives like MRSS, Crisis 365 is not a service model. Instead, it is a dedicated training hub designed to expand access to high-quality professional learning and peer connection. Our curriculum spans multiple crisis service elements and bridges the gap between national standards and daily practice, providing a cross-lifespan approach that breaks down silos and promotes a shared language between child, young adult, and adult service systems.
Who Should Attend Crisis 365?
All Those Delivering Crisis Care
- Crisis Call Center Operators & Dispatchers
- Mobile Crisis Teams & Crisis Stabilization Providers
- Social Workers, Peer Support Specialists & Licensed Clinicians
- Law Enforcement Partners
- Psychiatrists, Nurses & NPs
- Other Crisis Providers
Why Enroll Your Workforce?
For the Frontline: Confidence Under Pressure
- Actionable Knowledge: Go beyond "awareness." Walk away with specific steps to deliver trauma-responsive care in real-time.
- Easier Workflows: Learn tools that simplify decision-making during high-stakes moments.
- Professional Growth: Earn your continuing education credits while joining a national community of practice.
For Directors & State Leaders: System Reliability
- Combat Burnout: Empower your staff with the competency to handle their roles, reducing the stress that leads to turnover.
- Ensure Compliance: Our curriculum is mapped to national standards, equipping your team with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide high-quality crisis care.
- Standardized Excellence: Move from "pockets of success" to a unified, high-performing crisis system that functions efficiently and effectively.
Format & Credits
Format
- Live, interactive virtual sessions with national leaders.
Time Commitment:
- 8 hours per course/24 hours for all three courses
Continuing Education
- CE credits available through the UConn School of Social Work.
Cost & Savings
Individual Rates
- Individual courses per person: $200
- Three-course bundle: $450 $150 savings per person!
Group Registration
- Request a group rate for your team!
- A $50 per-person discount applies to each course registration when three or more participants register together.
Crisis 365 Winter 2027 Schedule
With our Fall 2026 classes full and under way, we are seeing firsthand how these day and a half sessions help teams bridge the gap between theory and practice. As we look forward to the Winter classes, we want to ensure your team has a spot.
Registration for the Winter 2027 cohort is now open.
Crisis Academy 101: Practice Essentials
This course is a prerequisite for all subsequent trainings.
January 7 & 8, 2027 | 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET each day
Master the core blueprint of high-quality crisis care. This foundational course is the essential entry point for the Crisis 365 Academy, providing a deep dive into the purpose, principles, and key tasks that define a world-class crisis system. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned professional, you will learn to bridge the gap between theory and practice across contact centers, mobile teams, and stabilization services.
Target Audience: Contact center staff, mobile crisis teams, and stabilization providers serving people of all ages.
Key Takeaway: Gain a unified framework for delivering care across the lifespan and master the prerequisites for advanced Crisis 365 coursework.
Crisis Academy 102: Building Partnerships
February 17 & 18, 2027 | 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET each day
Technical skill means little without the ability to build immediate trust. As one of our three "Core" courses, this session sharpens your ability to engage and collaborate under pressure. Participants move beyond surface-level communication to learn evidence-based strategies for overcoming barriers, de-escalating tension, and effectively integrating families and community supports into the care process.
Target Audience: Frontline responders and supervisors focusing on field engagement.
Prerequisite: Crisis Academy 101: Practice Essentials
Key Takeaway: Walk away with a tactical toolkit for building rapid rapport and establishing a foundation of safety through collaboration.
Crisis Academy 203: Supportive Planning
March 17 & 18, 2027, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET both days
A crisis plan is only effective if it can be executed. This course moves away from "compliance-based" paperwork and toward individualized, trauma-informed planning that promotes long-term stability. Through immersive, interactive activities, you will master the critical distinction between immediate crisis intervention and ongoing care planning, practicing the art of writing effective, empowerment-focused plans that work in the real world.
Target Audience: All those delivering crisis care.
Prerequisite: Crisis Academy 101: Practice Essentials
Key Takeaway: Transition from generic templates to personalized planning tools that reduce future crises and empower those you serve.
NEW! Crisis Academy 301: Children, Youth & Families
February 3 & 4, 2027 | 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET each day
This supplementary course within the Crisis365 Academy focuses on developmentally responsive crisis care for children, youth and families. Novice and experienced crisis workers will benefit from care contextualized in the needs of children, youth and families across developmental stages.
Participants learn to:
- Differentiate between crisis systems that are designed for adults and those customized for children, youth and families.
- Summarize the Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) model and its role within the larger children's system of care (SOC).
- Identify skills and practices that increase effectiveness and improve outcomes when partnering with children, youth and families.
- Describe social-emotional development across ages and states of childhood and early adulthood.
- Identify how common behavioral health diagnoses present in children and young people and name the associated evidence-based and promising practices to support young people with those diagnoses.
Target Audience: System leaders, frontline responders and supervisors
Prerequisite: Crisis Academy 101: Practice Essentials
Key Takeaway: Recognize crisis system design and practices that lead to improved outcomes for children, youth and families through application of developmentally responsive crisis care.
Meet Our Faculty
Sarah Quinn, MSW, LCSW-C
Director, Crisis Systems
Sarah is a clinically licensed social worker and certified crisis specialist dedicated to building high-quality systems grounded in evidence and connection. As the lead developer of the Crisis 365 Academy, she created this curriculum with her colleagues specifically to bridge the practical gaps identified by crisis providers nationwide. Sarah partners with states to design and implement crisis systems while providing workforce support to elevate frontline practice.
Previously, as the Director of Crisis Response in Harford County, Maryland, Sarah oversaw a comprehensive continuum of care, including regional crisis lines and mobile response for the lifespan. She led the pilot of youth-customized crisis services in Maryland and worked across first-responder systems, including law enforcement and emergency medical services. Sarah holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and is driven by a commitment to connection, service, and curiosity.
Vanessa Ofodile
National Coach & Trainer
Vanessa leads implementation, coaching, training, and readiness assessments for states working to strengthen their crisis systems. With extensive experience working across diverse community contexts and through a person-centered approach, Vanessa specializes in fostering effective, learning environments and supporting individualized, evidence-informed interventions. She is a certified QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor and an expert in the MRSS and Crisis 365 models.
Vanessa’s expertise is rooted in direct service; she has provided mobile crisis response across the lifespan and supported youth and adults in acute behavioral health inpatient units. Her frontline experience also includes counseling for sexual assault and domestic violence crisis hotlines. Vanessa earned a Master of Science in Negotiation and Conflict Management from the University of Baltimore and a B.A. in Biology from Regis College.
Danielle Gasperini, MSW, LCSW
National Coach & Trainer
Danielle brings 15 years of clinical leadership to the Crisis 365 Academy, having previously served as the Director of Mobile Response in New Jersey. In that role, she managed a specialized team of crisis intervention specialists serving children and families with complex behavioral health needs. Danielle is a regular national presenter on the MRSS process and has shared her expertise at the National Conference for Mental Well-Being and the University of Maryland’s Learning Institute.
In addition to her clinical work, Danielle served as an adjunct professor at the Monmouth University School of Social Work, helping to shape the next generation of behavioral health providers. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who holds a Psychology degree from Penn State University and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Monmouth University.