CPI training teaches staff members how to defuse potentially dangerous behavior by using verbal de-escalation techniques. It also emphasizes the importance of safe physical intervention as a last resort.
Schools that have successfully implemented a CPI-based approach to behavioral issues have found that it creates safer learning environments for both students and teachers. Here are some of the key benefits:
Improved Safety
A CPI training course teaches professionals how to mitigate and de-escalate potentially unsafe behavioral situations. This type of conflict response training is often provided for educators, but can be a great benefit for anyone in the education or healthcare fields who may need to deal with high-risk situations.
The goal of CPI is to reduce the need for physical intervention as much as possible by teaching staff how to defuse a crisis situation through nonviolent communication and de-escalation strategies. While physical restraint is never a desired outcome, it is taught as a safe and last resort to ensure the safety of all parties involved in a crisis situation.
In addition, CPI classes teach imperative decision-making skills that help staff recognize the different levels of risk and match their response to the level of the danger. By reducing the need for physical interventions, teachers and other school staff can keep students and other adults safe from harm.
As a result, CPI certification can significantly reduce the number of disruptive classroom situations and the associated teacher and office referrals. For example, a study published in Preventing School Failure found that teachers who participated in CPI training experienced a significant decrease in the amount of classroom behavior that led to frustration and reactive forms of discipline.
Those who have completed a CPI class learn how to use verbal de-escalation techniques to help calm autistic children in distress, as well as how to communicate more effectively with them. Having a set of tools to prevent and manage these challenging behaviors can help teachers feel more confident in their ability to support their students.
CPI is widely used in healthcare, education, and law enforcement. It is a highly effective way to equip staff with the skills and confidence needed to handle difficult situations safely and effectively. For this reason, CPI certification on Linkedin is proud to offer CPI training as part of its sustainable train-the-trainer program for our education clients.
Reduced Use of Physical Intervention
The use of physical intervention to manage challenging behaviours can have significant health, safety, and human rights implications for students. It’s important that school staff are trained to identify and avoid physical restraint, which should only be used when it’s considered necessary by a professional who has been trained in appropriate procedures.
CPI training focuses on the importance of defusing situations before they escalate, as well as teaching people how to communicate with those in crisis. This helps prevent the need to physically intervene and can often eliminate a crisis entirely. It also helps create a safer and more respectful environment for autistic children, which is essential for their long-term development and relationships with others.
There is a growing concern over the overuse of physical intervention in educational settings, especially with regard to the impact on children’s mental health and wellbeing. This has led to a number of campaigns for better policies, training and practice in this area. This includes promoting a ‘value base’ within which any physical techniques must be considered, and only when they are deemed to be in the person’s best interests and of the utmost necessity (Challenging Behaviour Foundation, 2019).
The physical intervention techniques used by school staff can be dangerous and cause injury, so it’s important that they are only employed when there is a genuine threat to the individual’s safety or to other people. This may include the risk of harm to the student, the potential for property damage or disruption to the educational process.
While there is no legal requirement to record incidents of physical intervention in schools, a Freedom of Information request found that around 13,000 instances had been recorded in educational settings over the previous three years. This figure is likely to be a major underestimation, as many local authorities failed to respond or reported that no incidents had occurred (Harte, 2017). It’s clear that the implementation of better training and practice in managing difficult behaviours is needed, including the promotion of positive approaches to support and avoidance of physical intervention.
Better Communication and Relationships
Regardless of what role they play at school, teachers and other professionals need to have the tools to build strong, trustworthy relationships with students and families. When they do, communication is easier and more effective – and that’s essential for building strong, supportive schools.
When educators communicate effectively with their student families, they can help them navigate challenging situations with greater ease – including emergency management and behavior support. They can also better understand the needs of autistic children and their parents, which will result in a more respectful and stable relationship over time.
CPI training equips staff with the framework they need to prevent and defuse difficult behaviors. It helps them identify the warning signs that often precede a crisis and offers them verbal de-escalation skills for ensuring the safety of both the individual being supported and their caregivers. It also teaches them how to use physical restraint only as a last resort and ensures that their actions are safe and legal.
In addition to teaching a variety of verbal de-escalation techniques, CPI training also focuses on improving communication and relationships between people. It teaches people to listen actively and empathically, which can reduce conflict and tension in relationships. It also encourages people to paraphrase and summarize information, which can help them better understand what they’re hearing. It also teaches people to ask clarifying questions and seek solutions that are beneficial to everyone involved.
Ultimately, CPI teaches people to use communication methods that are non-judgmental and focus on problem-solving instead of putting blame or criticizing someone else’s actions or words. These techniques are valuable for anyone, from autistic individuals to mental health patients, and can help improve relationships in a variety of settings.
Increased Effectiveness
CPI training prepares staff to defuse situations in a non-violent way by teaching them how to recognize and respond appropriately to each situation. It also helps educators to improve the quality of interactions with students and their families, which can improve overall school climate and create more inclusive learning environments.
The training teaches educators to recognize and defuse challenging behaviors that could turn into crises, including anger, aggression, self-harm, or violence. It also teaches them how to prevent these incidents from occurring in the first place by using strategies like positive reinforcement and self-talk.
Educators who have completed the CPI course can also become certified instructors so that they can teach other staff members. This enables schools to scale up their training efforts and reach more educators quickly and efficiently.
As a result, more staff have the skills and confidence to effectively intervene in difficult situations. This leads to more classroom success and fewer disruptions that lead to teacher or office referrals. This reduces the burden on support staff and gives teachers more time to focus on instruction and building student relationships.
Another benefit of CPI is that it can be taught in a variety of settings. For example, caregivers in assisted living and nursing homes use the techniques to help residents deal with their behavior. This is a crucial skill because many people in these facilities have underlying issues that can trigger aggression, such as anxiety or sleep deprivation.
The training also provides tactics that educators can use in their classrooms to deal with disruptive or aggressive students. This is particularly important because many of these students are not violent or destructive on purpose. They may be reacting to something else in their lives that is out of their control, such as an overbearing parent or lack of stimulation.
CPI offers a range of training programs that can be customized to fit the specific needs of your organization and your individual learners.