Walter McCallum, an activities therapist with River Region Medical Center, has been recognized by the Crisis Prevention Institute as a meritorious instructor.

McCallum has been a nonviolent crisis intervention certified instructor for 14 years and has trained more than 1,500 health care professionals. Nonviolent crisis intervention training focuses on prevention and using proven strategies to safely defuse anxious, hostile or violent behavior.

McCallum is one of 46 instructors — less than 1 percent of instructors worldwide — who have earned the meritorious instructor title.

Instructors are considered for the title using five criteria — the number of staff trained, years as an instructor, hours trained, classes taught and Crisis Prevention Institute training programs attended.