The Coordinator: Managing High-Risk High-Consequence Social Interactions in an Unfamiliar Environment

How should a law enforcement officer manage an encounter with someone who might be mentally unstable or in crisis--but does not appear to pose an immediate threat? How might a platoon commander engage with a foreign civilian who has key information for an intelligence-gathering mission, but is wary of sharing--maybe even being seen--with a stranger? In both cases, how does that officer remain prepared for something going terribly wrong at any moment, while still maintaining the intention and ability to help? What common skills do these scenarios--and many others like them--require?

In The Coordinator, Ellis Amdur and Robert Hubal share their decades of experience working with law enforcement and military personnel in training and developing social interaction skills, particularly in 'high risk, high consequence' situations with individuals who may always view themselves as adversaries. The Coordinator is someone who is always trying to reach an accord with the other person, striving to establish community liaison, rapport, crisis management, and deescalation of aggression. The Coordinator maintains a focus on tactics, doing everything possible to enhance the safety of all people involved in the encounter. Simultaneously, the Coordinator strives to achieve a level of trust, engaging others with professionalism and respect. The Coordinator crafts the communication to form a working relationship to share in achieving the aims of the mission.

"I have known Robert Hubal for many years, starting as a colleague at RTI International, and continuing to other training and educational efforts involving military and law enforcement. The Coordinator, a result of his collaboration with Ellis Amdur, offers a clear approach to confrontations with adversarial, potentially dangerous individuals. This 'Coordinator Mindset' focuses everyone involved on both the problems and resolution of an incident. From my over 40 years of service in the military and then in law enforcement, as well as my studies on interviewing and effective methods for training interviewing skills, I see these skills as valuable in military personnel at various levels as well as in the law enforcement and intelligence areas. This is a great book to have around to aid in achieving the best solution possible, while lowering the risk of the encounter turning violent, without compromising the military or law enforcement mission that brought one into the situation."

- Dr. Don Gemeinhardt (Col. USAF Retired)

Ellis Amdur received his B.A. in psychology from Yale University and his M.A. in psychology from Seattle University. He is both a National Certified Counselor and a State Certified Child Mental Health Specialist. Amdur has trained in various martial arts systems for the past fifty years, spending thirteen of these years studying in Japan. He is a recognized expert in classical and modern Japanese martial traditions and has authored three iconoclastic books on the subject, as well as one instructional DVD. Since his return to the U.S. in 1988, Amdur has worked in the field of crisis intervention as a pioneering instructor for law enforcement. He has written eighteen books on the subjects of crisis intervention, hostage negotiation and the art of psychotherapy, many with subject-matter expert co-writers, as well as several works of fiction. He is a dynamic public speaker and trainer who presents to people working in a variety of professions throughout the United States and internationally. He is noted for his sometimes-outrageous humor as well as his profound breadth of knowledge. His vivid descriptions of aggressive and mentally ill people and his true-to-life role-playing of the behaviors in question give participants an almost first-hand experience of facing the real patients in question. In addition, Amdur has developed a range of consultation services, as well as a unique style of assessment and psychotherapy. Amdur's professional philosophy can best be summed up as: The development of an individual's integrity and dignity is the paramount virtue. This can only occur when people live courageously, regardless of the circumstances, and take responsibility for their roles in making the changes they desire.

Robert Hubal, a cognitive scientist, has research interests in a number of areas that focus on the intelligent use of technology to better train and assess complex knowledge and skills. In one area, technology assisted learning, he has extensive experience in developing situated training and assessment systems. In another, healthcare simulation, he has developed various applications focused specifically on medical and clinical settings. In a third, intelligent virtual humans, he has developed behavioral software that enables virtual humans to act and behave realistically in controlled learning contexts. He has investigated models of cultural daily activities and patterns of life for the portrayal of activity within game-based environments. In his work at RTI International, Soar Technology, and now the University of North Carolina, Hubal has applied research results to such every day and specialized domains as medical informed consent, clinical assessment of social and interpersonal skills, consumer decision making, vigilance in security and intelligence, law enforcement interactions, and warfighter/ civilian sociocultural engagement. He holds an S.B. in computer science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an M.S. in computer science from North Carolina State University, and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Duke University.