PRESS RELEASE
Xpan Interactive, Solution Point Plus, and Santa Clara VTA Win Gold for De-escalation Training at Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards
Xpan Interactive Ltd. (Xpan), in collaboration with de-escalation experts Solution Point Plus, is proud to announce their joint Gold award win with client Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) at the 2025 Brandon Hall Group Human Capital Management (HCM) Excellence Awards. This prestigious recognition is for their innovative “De-escalation Training for Bus Operators” program. The winners are listed at https://excellenceawards.brandonhall.com/winners/
The Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards are a highly respected international competition, recognizing outstanding achievements in corporate, government, and not-for-profit organizations across the globe. Entries are rigorously evaluated by a panel of independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts, and executives. Awards are presented across eight areas: Learning and Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, Talent Acquisition, Human Resources, Sales Performance, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Future of Work.
“At SolutionPoint+, we believe de-escalation isn’t just a skill, it’s a mindset. This award reflects the power of empathy, awareness, and connection to transform high-stress encounters into moments of safety and humanity. We’re honored to stand with VTA and Xpan in proving that when you equip people with the right tools, you don’t just change outcomes, you change lives.” – Joe Smarro, Co-Founder & CEO, SolutionPoint+
“Transit operators are facing critical real-world challenges. Xpan’s collaborative partnership with Santa Clara VTA and Solution Point Plus highlights the power of combining expertise to improve the safety of our important front-line workers,” says Ron Thiele, CEO and Founder of Xpan. “Together, we are incredibly proud to have developed a solution that not only equips transit operators with vital skills but also fosters a culture of safety, empathy and resilience in challenging situations.”
This Gold-winning entry features a scenario-based eLearning simulation developed to equip transit operators and mechanics with practical de-escalation skills, including situational and self-awareness for managing difficult or potentially violent situations. The simulation is just one part of a larger training initiative that included in-person sessions for all of VTA’s public-facing employees. Developed in response to a rise in transit worker assaults, burnout, and compassion fatigue, this course is designed to work in concert with instructor-led training for a more comprehensive experience.
The program emphasizes empathy and driving a cultural shift in how transit workers engage with both passengers and colleagues. Story-based scenarios that are grounded in real-life challenges shared by VTA operators help learners not only develop effective de-escalation skills but also gain a deeper awareness of their own emotional responses and how to manage them.
This scenario-based eLearning course supports VTA’s goal of fostering a culture shift, encouraging team members to manage stress effectively and engage with passengers in a composed and understanding manner. Through engaging, real-world scenarios, participants learn to:
The course immerses learners in four progressively intense branching scenarios, each reflecting real challenges transit workers face daily. It integrates story-driven learning, situational and self-awareness training, and localized content using familiar settings and industry-specific terminology to ensure authenticity.
Rather than traditional quizzes, the course uses scenario-based decision points with immediate feedback via a Heads-Up Display (HUD) and cumulative feedback at the end of each scenario. Learners have the opportunity to fail in a safe environment and retry, reinforcing practical skills.
By combining immersive storytelling, real-world relevance, interactive decision-making, and timely feedback, this course delivers a powerful learning experience that drives tangible behavioral change among transit workers.
The course has been well received and contributed to a broader cultural shift toward empathy, patience, and self-regulation. Its success is attributed to the authenticity derived from interviews with VTA drivers, whose lived experiences formed the basis for each scenario. The integration of thought-provoking content, designed to give learners deeper insight into human behavior, was made possible through the collaboration between Xpan and Solution Point Plus. Here are some reactions from the learners:
Founded in 2017, SolutionPoint+ (SP+) is an internationally recognized consultancy & training firm committed to transforming communities through mental wellness and safety. SP+ specializes in crisis intervention training, de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed care, jail diversion processes, and mental resilience. Their expertise enables them to provide comprehensive, impactful solutions that address the most pressing challenges in mental health and crisis response.
Find out more at https://solutionpointplus.com/
Since 2001, Xpan has helped organizations around the world create training environments where people thrive. The team of learning experts continually produce seamless custom learning solutions that make it easy for organizations to transfer knowledge, empowering learners to develop both the competency to perform and the capacity to grow. From eLearning course design to instructor-led training, mixed reality, immersive and custom applications, Gen AI and LMS course delivery, our deep expertise ensures learners have the tools to continue evolving.
Find out more at www.xpan.ca
