Empower. Focus. Connect.
Training for safer, stronger communities
What We Provide
De-escalation Training
Interactive courses that give practical strategies to defuse tense situations with at-risk youth.
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Builds trust and cooperation
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Reduces risk and liability
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Enhances confidence
Trauma-Informed Approaches
Understanding how trauma affects juvenile behavior and tailoring interventions accordingly.
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Recognize triggers and stressors
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Apply age-appropriate strategies
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Foster safer, more effective outcomes
Real-World Scenarios
Hands-on practice through role-play and guided exercises for real confidence on the job.
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Scenario-based training
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Communication & active listening
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Proven ICAT-informed tactics
About EFC Consulting
Led by Experience, Built on Service
Edward Costanzo, Major (Ret.), Founder & Lead Trainer, began his career with the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission in 1997, where he dedicated over 28 years to advancing public safety, leadership development, and officer training. He spent his first seven years as an officer before being promoted to sergeant, later advancing to lieutenant, and ultimately serving as Major—the Commission’s highest law enforcement rank. In this role, he was also designated as the Chief Law Enforcement Executive.
For 24 years, he was assigned to secure care operations, where he oversaw safety, staff development, and institutional leadership. He also served as the Training Academy Supervisor for four years, where he was instrumental in shaping the next generation of officers. He worked closely with the New Jersey Juvenile Detention Association. Assisting in training, awareness and developing an updated universal Use of Force Policy.
In recognition of his leadership, he received the Facility Leadership Award from the NJ Superior Officers Association in 2023.
Beyond his professional achievements, he has pursued personal milestones with the same dedication. He completed the New York City Marathon in 2008 and is a devoted husband of 28 years. He and his wife are proud parents of two sons: their eldest is a Kean University graduate with a master’s degree in education who graduated as salutatorian, and their youngest is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Both sons played collegiate lacrosse.
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He holds numerous professional certifications, including:
Police Training Commission Instructor (2007)
ICAT (Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics) Trainer (2021)
Active Bystander for Law Enforcement Trainer (Georgetown University Law Center, 2021)
Firearms Instructor (PTC 2021)
Physical Conditioning Instructor (PTC 2022)
NJ Prevention Network Certifications in counseling approaches and intervention techniques
Specialized Training Courses
Course Summary: 3 hours
De-escalation Strategies for Working with Young People
This interactive training equips professionals with practical skills to recognize, prevent, and safely manage escalating behavior among young people. Drawing on evidence-based practices, participants will learn how to apply communication techniques, emotional regulation strategies, positive youth development and decision-making tools that can reduce the need for physical intervention.
The course emphasizes the unique dynamics of working with youth—such as trauma, impulsivity, and developmental differences—and provides participants with approaches tailored to these challenges. Through role-play, scenario-based exercises, and guided discussion, attendees will practice ICAT-informed tactics, active listening, and Active bystandership designed to build trust and foster positive outcomes. By the end of this course, participants will:
• Understand the root causes of escalation in juvenile behavior.
• Apply step-by-step de-escalation techniques to real-world scenarios.
• Strengthen their ability to manage conflict while preserving safety.
• Gain confidence in using alternatives to force that align with best practices in youth justice and youth development.
This course is designed for law enforcement officers, youth workers, educators, school security, school resource officers, and professionals who regularly engage with young people, at-risk young people and/or young people with justice-involved youth.
Course Summary: 3 hours
Understanding Juvenile Development and Trauma
Tailoring Interventions for At Risk Youth in the Justice System
This course explores the critical differences between younger and older juveniles who come into contact with the justice system, highlighting how age, maturity, and developmental stage influence behavior, reasoning, and decision-making. Participants will gain insight into the ways trauma disrupts normal growth and impairs a youth’s ability to process emotions, regulate impulses, and respond with maturity.
Through case studies, interactive discussions, and scenario-based learning, participants will examine how trauma and adverse experiences alter brain development, leading to challenges in judgment, trust, and compliance with authority. The training emphasizes practical approaches for tailoring communication, expectations, and interventions to the developmental level of the youth, rather than applying a “one size fits all” method.
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
• Recognize developmental differences between younger and older juveniles.
• Understand the short- and long-term effects of trauma on reasoning, behavior, and growth.
• Apply age-appropriate and trauma-informed strategies in their daily interactions.
• Promote safer, more effective outcomes for both youth and staff by aligning expectations with developmental capacity.
• Train preparedness for the unexpected.
This training is designed for law enforcement, corrections staff, educators, school security, school resource officers, and professionals working with at-risk or justice-involved youth.
Course Summary: 3 hours
Creating Safer School Environments Through Training and Communication
At EFC Consulting LLC, we believe that safe schools start with skilled, confident, and well-supported staff. Our specialized training is designed for School Resource Officers, school security personnel, and teacher aides — the professionals who work on the front lines of student interaction every day.
Our sessions focus on de-escalation, communication, and situational awareness — practical tools that help prevent conflict before it begins. By learning how to recognize signs of tension, manage emotions, and engage with empathy and clarity, staff can create calmer, more positive environments for both students and colleagues.
EFC Consulting’s approach is hands-on and realistic. We use real-world scenarios and guided discussion to help participants apply what they learn immediately in their school setting. The goal isn’t just to respond effectively in challenging moments — it’s to foster an overall culture of safety, trust, and respect throughout the school community.
When every adult in the building understands how to connect, communicate, and de-escalate, everyone benefits — especially the students who thrive in supportive environments where they feel understood and respected.
This course is designed for School Resource officers, educators, school security, teachers aids, and professionals who regularly engage with students.
Course Summary: 2 hours
NJ County Detention Center Use of Force Policy & Documentation
This focused training equips county detention officers with the clarity and confidence to apply their county’s Use of Force policy with precision and professionalism. Participants explore the policy line by line, learning how to assess situations involving young people, make legally sound and developmentally informed decisions, and recognize when force is authorized, necessary, and reasonable.
The session then guides trainees through the critical second half of the job: documentation. Officers learn how to capture facts, articulate actions, and produce clear, defensible written reports that honor policy, protect the facility, and reflect a commitment to safety and accountability.
The result is a sharper, steadier team that knows the policy, applies it properly, and documents incidents in a way that withstands scrutiny and supports safer environments for youth and staff.
This course is designed for County Juvenile Detention Officers, Supervisors and their Administrators who regularly engage with at risk or justice- involved youth.
Course Summary: 3 hours
Campus Harmony & Response: A 3-hour Training For Resident Assistants And Campus Security
College campuses are living ecosystems filled with academic energy, big emotions, first-time independence, and the occasional storm of conflict. This 3-hour training equips Resident Assistants and Campus Security Officers with the skills to guide that ecosystem toward safety, respect, and calm.
The session blends the core fundamentals of EFC Consulting LLC—empower, focus, connect—into a practical, college-centered approach designed for the unique dynamics of residence halls, student gatherings, and campus life.
TRAINING OVERVIEW
1. Understanding Today’s College Student
A grounded look at modern student behavior, stressors, identity exploration, and risk factors. This helps staff read the emotional weather before a situation turns into a storm.
2. Empower • Focus • Connect
- Empower students by guiding them toward safe choices and personal responsibility.
- Focus attention on communication, clarity, and calm presence.
- Connect through rapport-building, empathy, and emotionally intelligent engagement.
3. De-Escalation on a College Campus
Practice tools specifically tailored for residence halls and campus hotspots:
- Turning down emotional heat through tone, distance, and pacing
- Redirecting impulsive or confrontational behavior
- Managing peer-on-peer disputes, roommate conflicts, and group situations
- Avoiding power struggles that escalate rather than resolve
- Realistic role-play and discussion ensure the skills feel usable.
4. Communication That Builds Trust
Skills to speak in a way that lowers defensiveness and strengthens cooperation.
- Language cues that calm
- How to deliver boundaries without sounding authoritarian
- Listening in a way that makes students feel seen rather than judged
- Trauma-informed communication considerations
5. Creating Safer Environments
This segment pulls everything together.
- Identify early signs of conflict or crisis
- Support students struggling with stress, isolation, or interpersonal issues
- Navigate intoxication, anxiety, or academic pressures
- Maintain safety while preserving dignity and community trust
- Resident Assistants and Campus Security come away aligned as a unified front, ready to handle situations collaboratively.
6. Documentation & Communication with Administration (Non-disciplinary focus)
Participants practice effective, concise, factual documentation that supports campus policies without inflaming tensions. The emphasis stays on clarity, accuracy, and collaboration with supervisors and student-life staff.
This course is designed for Campus Resident Assistants (R.A.), school security, and professionals who regularly engage with students.
Why It Matters for Communities
Safer juvenile encounters
Juvenile encounters require specialized skills — youth are impulsive, often influenced by peers, and may be experiencing trauma.
Improved community trust
Traditional enforcement methods can escalate situations, leading to community distrust, costly complaints, or even lawsuits.
Reduced liability & fewer complaints
Practical, real-world tools to keep safety.
De-escalation strategies
designed for juvenile interactions
Communication skills
that defuse tension and build cooperation
Trauma-informed approaches
that recognize stress and triggers
Scenario-based practice
for real-world confidence
Departmental
Benefits
Improved community trust
with parents, schools, and residents
Increased officer safety
and reduced on-the-job stress
Reduced liability
and fewer use-of-force complaints
Positive youth engagement
that supports long-term crime prevention
Financial & Insurance Benefits
Demonstrates proactive risk management to insurance carriers
Supports compliance with NJ Attorney General’s training priorities
Reduces the likelihood of costly lawsuits, claims, and settlements
Over time, fewer claims can help stabilize or lower liability insurance premiums for the municipality
Testimonials
Take the Next Step
We recommend a pilot training session (2–3 hours). This introductory workshop will demonstrate the impact of these strategies and allow leadership to evaluate expansion options.
Courses
De-escalation Strategies for Working with At Risk Young People
Tailoring Interventions for At Risk Youth in the Justice System
Creating Safer School Environments Through Training and Communication
NJ County Detention Center Use of Force Policy & Documentation
Campus Harmony & Response: A 3-hour Training For Resident Assistants And Campus Security
Contact
Edward Costanzo, Major (Ret.), Founder & Lead Trainer
efc4consulting@gmail.com
