List of Materials to Ask Your District for re “CPI-Certified/Trained Staff”

December 6, 2009

By Jennifer Searcy
Founder/Director of Public Policy & Affairs
The Coalition for Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports

The following is a list of resources and materials which CPI provides to the districts/personnel/individuals CPI has trained, as evidence of what CPI teaches. This information is to be made available from school districts to parents/advocates upon request:

1. A Participant Workbook: This work book includes both pictorial and narrative descriptions of the different types of de-escalation and restraint techniques CPI trains.

Although this workbook is copyrighted and your district may not personally reproduce any portion of the workbook, you can ask the district to either give you access to their copy OR you could ask them to order a copy for you.

Please note: If you are ever in doubt about a technique personnel may have used on your child, ask them to show you the photograph of the technique they used, as outlined in CPI's Participant Workbook. If they cannot, or if you cannot find either a photographic or narrative description of a technique described to you, then personnel may have used a technique which is not “CPI-approved.” This needs to be reported to CPI at info@crisisprevention.com and/or us at tcfpbis@gmail.com immediately. Additionally, if the district refuses to provide you access to the CPI Participant Workbook, please contact CPI at info@crisisprevention.com and/or us at tcfpbis@gmail.com immediately.

2. An Instructor Manual: Every CPI-Certified Instructor is provided with a trainer’s manual which provides them with everything he/she needs to effectively conduct and customize training sessions, including a module which is used to educate parents/advocates on CPI’s philosophy and techniques.

Please note: If the district cannot produce the instructor's manual, or refuses you access to the manual, or if the district refuses to schedule an appointment with a trainer who could review the parent/advocate training module with you, please contact CPI at info@crisisprevention.com and/or us at tcfpbis@gmail.com immediately.

3. Identification Cards with Annual Training Date: Individuals who have completed CPI training are issued identification cards, which contains the date the individual was certified.

Please note: CPI requires annual recertification, so this “certification date” is very important. If identification cards cannot be presented, or if the certification date is more than one year ago, then the personnel may not be/may no longer be certified. If you are concerned about an individual’s certification, please contact CPI at info@crisisprevention.com and/or us at tcfpbis@gmail.com immediately.

Some additional things to know/consider:

CPI does not train in seclusion! So if your district is using/has used seclusion and/or seclusion rooms, and if they are claiming to be following “CPI training” for seclusion/seclusion rooms, then they are lying to you and should be reported to CPI at info@crisisprevention.com and/or us at tcfpbis@gmail.com immediately!

CPI also does not train restraint as discipline, punishment, nor convenience of staff; CPI is about avoiding restraint and seclusion! So if your district is using/has used restraint as discipline, punishment, or for staff’s convenience, please contact CPI at info@crisisprevention.com and/or us at tcfpbis@gmail.com immediately!