In-class Training

Note: Currently the TTSCT program is being revised and updated.
When that process is complete this page will be updated outlining
those changes. However, if you are interested in hosting a training
you can still connect to discuss your budget, number of personnel
and training needs.

What’s on this page…

In-class Training Overview

Cohorts and Instructor Requirements

TTSCT Breakdown

Three Additional Options

TTSCT Agenda

Fee Schedule

In-class Training Overview

(It is expected that students will have worked through the Weapons Pkg. system prior to attending TTSCT.  This provides them with a foundation before they do the in-class work.)

AND - and this is important, and contraversial, training cohorts may very well be - segregated; male and female.  And as such will be programmed for slightly differently depending on when it is an all male group or all female group.  Like it, don't like it, we talk differently when we are in a mixed gender group and this stuff can be tough enough as it is for some personnel.  There it is.  There will be lines drawn between the sexes.

TTSCT - Tactical Trauma Self Care Training

Basic Philosophy - All personnel must have dial down strategies prior to high stress events and have integrated these strategies into their performance-oriented routines as they would physical development strategies such as weight training.  Resiliency-oriented strategies are performance enhancers and must be treated as seriously as physical fitness.

This foundational course is delivered as classroom training in clear, exercise-driven lessons encouraging full integration of the information leading to successful transfer to team members after training.  The objective of TTSCT is Core Resiliency Development across domains; physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, intuitive, financial - leading to strengthened operational performance and health.

Training in resiliency focuses on building skills to manage stress and to sustain mental fitness throughout a career.  The primary skills historically taught have been; Goal Setting, Self Talk, Visualization and Breathing Techniques.  TTSCT, teaches these skills to an advanced level not generally taught within the military context.  In TTSCT, these techniques are taught through a results-driven protocol.  

TTSCT is pre-event, core skill development, all personnel levels/ranks with no specialists.  In the experience we call Combat Stress, each person has a different threshold, perceives events differently, and will react differently to various stimuli.  Basic core skill development that can be easily passed on is essential.

TTSCT is not intended to equip non-medics to manage psychological aftermath of a traumatic incident or series of incidents.  It will not cover; incident site management, planning for personnel needs after an event, how to conduct risk assessment interviews, psycho-educational briefings or critical incident debriefings. It will not isolate and train specific members of units as master trainers but will encourage every member to use simple techniques shared by their peers.

There is no chain of command reporting expectation where TRiM or MRTs are expected to report to medical chaplaincy or mental health services.  Personnel develop their own regimes without other professionals unless they choose to include them.

TTSCT will not teach to PTSD exclusively, but includes the wider Combat Stress Spectrum experience.  TTSCT will reduce the stigma around traumatic stress by not framing it as mental illness, but as a recognized component of operational realities.

TTSCT is based on gap analysis of existing programming with a foundation in simple to use, simple to teach, core skill development that is compatible with all existing programming but does not include a CIM approach.  Resiliency is required before the event occurs to support an individual through the event and to regain equilibrium after the incident has passed.  How well someone overcomes trauma has less to do with the event then with that individual’s core beliefs about themselves and prior training.  TTSCT is foundational training.

Cohort and Instructor Requirements.

In consultation with liaison officers from departments, agencies, companies, academies, etc., each TTSCT course will be modified to meet the needs of each intake group.  Even on course day, although there will be a plan, it is not always followed to the T, to ensure that current and immediate needs of the cohort are met.

Industry Expectations;

•           Conduct successful operations using well trained operatives who perform well in high stress environments,

•           To provide support to personnel leading to reduction of negative effects of working in high stress environments.

MHC helps security organizations comply with these expectations.

Students who complete this course will gain a comprehensive understanding of the following:

•           The Combat Stress Spectrum and its implications for operational effectiveness

•           Strategies to maintain optimal operational effectiveness

•           Knowledge and skills which are transferable and simple to integrate into operational practices

Maximum Enrollment

•           50 students. This allows each student to participate in class discussions and scenarios, while ensuring all students listen to and benefit from varying viewpoints. This is especially valuable in a mixed discipline group and adds to the overall experience. (Mixed = police, fire services, military various ranks, emergency management directors, Vets of all services, etc. - all in one class)

Training Strategies include main concepts, connections to existing learning and vocabulary/key terms deployed through a four-step lesson design;

•           Direct Instruction

•           Guided Discovery/Rehearsal

•           Discussion and Correction

•           Evaluation

Evaluation Methods;

•           Students are evaluated on their participation in instructor led scenarios, in class discussion and activities as well as their ability to achieve a 90% score on an exam.

Instructor Needs; facilities to include;

•           white board/black board

•           power point projector/screen/audio system

•           seating with tables/chairs for full cohort

•           open area adjacent to teaching room for group activities

•           first aid kit/supplies onsite

•           copy of emergency plan for facilities

•           drinking water onsite

Each student is required to bring to training;

•           one item that represents “HOME” to them ie: a favourite shirt, family picture, kids toy etc.  AND one item that represents the “FIGHT” to them ie: tactical vest, uniform shirt 
NOTE: These items are only required for the Grand Transition.

•           clothing appropriate for group dinner – no jeans

•           items for company/project promotions table ie: business cards, flyers, prototypes to promote what participants are working on with their department/agency etc. that they would like to share with the group.  Networking is encouraged during breaks.

NOTE: Cancellation refund – there isn’t one.  Get someone else to take your spot if you can’t make it.

All active duty personnel attend training under the assumption that they can be called back to duty for an emergency situation.  Bearing this in mind, officers who are required to carry firearms will do so with the utmost caution and discretion and must make their own arrangements for the securing of weapons during training. 

TTSCT is broken down into modules.

TTSCT is delivered as multiple days consecutively as needed to accommodate all requested modules.  The first four modules can be covered in one day but it is more comfortable and allows for more questions and interactions to allow for two days.

Section One – Physical.  Illness within the body creates its own anxiety loops that can present as PTSD-like symptoms.  Most disease is preventable and with simple strategies, personnel can regain their health and eliminate these symptoms. Simple and essential hacks to resolve the most pressing of PTSD symptoms such as brain fog, body pain, tension.  We also talk about other physical issues such as environment, finances, relationships and how staying on top of these is necessary as a countermeasure against Combat Stress.  If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.

Section Two – Mindfulness training is imperative as skill development to decrease the effects of negative self talk, intrusive thoughts and regain a positive sense of self.  This is critical as the core symptom of PTSD are intrusive thoughts.   Mental anxiety loops must be broken and positive momentum created.  Here we learn about the Mental Mastery Protocol and how to use it as a deliberate daily practice.  This is life altering.

Section Three – Recovery Strategies; Understanding the three areas of Combat Stress, phases of trauma recovery and what is required for successful recovery from trauma. Break trauma induced anxiety loops. Section Three also covers Anger, Addictions, Betrayal by Leadership, Death and Loss.  These issues are the most consistent across all conflicts historically and do the most damage to personnel morale, emotional and mental well-being. Learn strategies to defuse, redirect, make better health choices, use schematics to dial down, understand and implement behavioural change.  Lots in here.

Section Four – Operational stress is the result of operational realities such as tempo as well as mistakes.  We discuss leadership strategies, joint operation realities and how to create more successful operations.  Mitigate operational level stressors.  Break systemic, organizational level anxiety causing loops.  This is a group exercise and everyone leaves with at least one strategy to implement when they go back to work.

Three Additional Options

TIA (One additional day)

Have you ever been sent to the principal’s office?  Did you know the ‘right thing’ to say to get yourself out of the office?  Many psychology inventories are similar, in that once you know the right thing to say so that you won’t lose that promotion, mission, draw attention to yourself in the wrong way - you keep saying that.  Which means inventories and apps may not be effective in gauging where you really are, and in creating meaningful strategies to get you to your next way point.  With TIA, you can’t fudge the answers.

As intimidating as this may sound, it is in your best interest to get a solid core reading of where you are and where you want to be.  And to do it in a creative and interesting way.  TIA – Transparent Intuitive Assessment. It doesn’t hurt.  You do it with crayons.  Really.  This is good.

The Grand Transition (One additional day) - Transitioning.  This is one of the most challenging aspects of Combat Stress; Transitioning between phases of trauma recovery, between the "fight" and "home", within operations and exiting the service where personnel need to have strategies to make transitions successfully.

The Grand Transition is loosely based on Native American Indian ceremonies known as clearing ceremonies where when men would come home from battle, medicine people would meet them and have them complete ceremonies to “take off” what they had to put on to go to war and be successful.  Those things from the “fight” had to be taken back off to integrate into society without the Warriors hurting themselves or others.  The Grand Transition asks participants to walk through three sectioned places on the floor; from “Home” to “the Dressing Room” to the “Fight” and back through, articulating what each Warrior needs to put on or take off at each stage of that transition.  Powerful.

Warrior Initiation Ceremonies (Two evenings, plus 1 ½ days)

What does it mean to be a Warrior in the 21^st Century?  Are we still living by old archetypes that need to be updated?  Today’s Warriors will spend time talking about this essential idea and ideal and what it means to them, and how best to initiate men into more appropriate concepts of what is needed now and is going to be needed; what will it mean to be a warrior moving forward into the future?  Student findings, suggestions, revelations and mock up ceremonies will be presented to the group on the last day.

TTSCT Agenda

TTSCT Course - Day One

Day Outline

8:00 – 8:30 AM       Arrival and coffee.

8:30-10:30                Introduction and MHC overview (10 mins.)

                                    First two stress reduction techniques; Black Smoke. (15 mins.)

                                    Streaming. (20 mins.)

                                    Section One – Physical (60 mins.)

10:30-10:45              Break

10:45-12:00              Section Two; Your mind overview (20 mins.)

        Mental Mastery protocol (20 mins.)                          

                                    Practice (20 mins.)

12:00-1:00                Lunch  

1:00-2:30                  Continue Section Two (40 mins.)

        Section Three; Trauma and recovery (30 mins.)

2:30-2:45                  Break

2:45-5:00                  Section Four; Operational Stress group work (40 mins.)

                                    Conclusions from each team. (30 mins.)

                                    Discussion of the day. (30 mins.)

                                    Exam (20 mins.)

                                    Course Evaluation (10 mins.)

These are approximate times; sometimes we have to stay until we’re done, and it is easy to see that with the amount of information to be covered, two days allows for more discussion, practice and absorption.

To include all modules;

Day One – Introduction, First Two Stress Reduction Techniques (most effective, easy to learn and both student favourites – these are a must so covered first in the course) Then TIA for the rest of the day with discussion. Group dinner.

Day Two – Section One and Two with homework to practice over the evening of the Mental Mastery Protocol so questions can be answered the following day and tweaks to student practice can be made. These simple but powerful mental mastery hacks are essential to create peace, health, and improve mission success.  Discussion of Warrior Initiations with group work to begin that evening leading to a presentation on the last day of the course.

Day Three – The Grand Transition.  Normally this takes most of the day and can be used as a segue into Section Three.  Continued evening work in Warrior Initiation groups and discussion on what does it mean to be a Warrior?

Day Four – Section Three with discussion on death, loss, anger and addictions.  This can be a far-reaching discussion with lots of opportunities for group talk, and utilizing techniques learned so far. Part of the afternoon is given to groups to further develop and rehearse presentations regarding Warrior Initiation.

Day Five – Operational Stress working groups where students discuss what pisses them off, what strategies they’d like to see implemented and what steps they want to bring forward to their teams and commands when they return to work.  This section is about taking the theoretical into the practical.  Review of what personal practices students will be implementing into their own lives.  Afternoon/evening the presentations of the Warrior groups.  Exams and course evaluation.  Group dinner.

Looking forward to seeing you in class!

Fee Schedule

All courses are run at a flat rate of 1000.00 per day plus expenses for travel.  If there is a full cohort of 50 students, the course fee starts at $20.00 per person.  Students will be responsible for their own travel, meals, accommodations and potential loss of pay unless their department/agency is paying their costs.  Even with low training fees, there can be an overall significant expenditure for those attending so MHC tries to keep this end low. 

MHC partners with US and other international companies to make training delivery possible.  For those companies wishing to host a TTSCT course outside of Canada, some paperwork will be expected to be completed for Visa compliance, which is a straightforward matter of a company letter that must be sent to MHC in order to be presented at a US port of entry by our trainer to obtain the required B1 Visa to enter the country.  Not a big thing, but it has to be done.  Similar visa protocols must be followed for other countries wishing to host. Companies must also show proof of liability insurance and be willing and able to help with promotion of the training.  Send your inquiries here.