Divine Mercy Academy: A Small School Making a Big Impact with CPI’s Reframing Behavior™

At Divine Mercy Academy, a small parochial school specializing in children with special needs, Principal Barbara Brish quickly recognized that the post-pandemic generation of students faced more difficult challenges, and the staff needed help addressing them. 

“These weren’t the same kids we’d taught before,” Brish shared. “They were coming in with complex needs. Every day, we’re learning something new.” 

Around the same time as Brish’s realization, CPI launched Reframing Behavior training. Having utilized CPI materials for years during her decades-long career in public education, Brish was immediately drawn to this new neuroscience-based approach to understanding classroom behaviour and stress responses. She also felt the self-regulation portion of the training would be invaluable to her staff. 

Despite operating as a nonprofit with no state funding and limited tuition income, Brish said the investment was a priority. “We waited anxiously for it to go live and then worked hard to find the money,” she said. 

A Training That Validates, Refreshes and Inspires 

Divine Mercy Academy’s Reframing Behavior Facilitator, Louise Zilka, led the school-wide rollout to educators. As part of the launch, Zilka challenged staff to try two strategies in the classroom and report back. “The teachers who did it said it helped,” she noted. 

One aspect of the training that really stood out to Brish was the inclusion of real classroom video scenarios. “Those were so helpful. Especially the one with the student with autism. I used to run a large autism program, and I thought, ‘Wow, they really got this right.’” 

Real Challenges. Real Strategies. Real Growth. 

Like Brish, many of the educators at Divine Mercy Academy are seasoned teachers who have come out of retirement. She said the training helped them refresh their practice and adapt to a new type of learner. “One teacher spent the good part of the day on the floor to remain eye level with students because we discovered it gets the attention of children with autism in a different way,” Brish said. 

Another shift came in the form of more frequent interactions. “I asked staff to add two or three moments throughout the day where they intentionally connect with students, so they feel acknowledged,” Brish said. “For kids with sensory issues, it can’t always be physical, so we’ve had to get creative in how we approach them.” 

 

Finding a Common Language for Highly Diverse Needs  

The student population at Divine Mercy Academy includes children with autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, trauma histories and more. “Our motto is ‘rights without labels,’ but if you saw their diagnoses, you’d be amazed,” Brish said. 

These students often carry what Brish calls “invisible stories.” One child had already been in five schools by the time he arrived at Divine Mercy. Many are being raised by their grandparents and struggling with identity and family relationships. “Every one of them, you could write a volume about,” she said. 

Reframing Behavior has given Brish and her team new language and renewed patience for what students are going through. “There are so many times I find myself needing to lower my tone, slow down and remember that it’s not their fault,” she said. “And the training reminds me of that. It really helped bring me back to that space.” 

Expanding the Impact 

Reframing Behavior is designed for all educators, not just teachers, and Brish has embraced that spirit. She enrolled volunteers and administrative staff in the training, noting how powerful it’s been to see even non-instructional staff shift their interactions. “One volunteer joins us for lunch often, and I can see how his demeanor with students has changed. He just didn’t know before.” 

These changes are subtle but meaningful. Staff members who once approached classroom behaviour with confusion or hesitation now respond with greater calm and intention. As they build awareness of how trauma, neurodivergence and sensory needs shape student behaviour, their interactions grow more thoughtful and responsive—whether in the classroom, in the hallway or over lunch. 

Brish emphasized that creating a supportive environment requires consistency across every adult a student encounters. That’s why the training wasn’t limited to instructional staff. From the front office to the lunch table, everyone is now better equipped to respond with empathy and understanding. 

Building a Foundation for the Future 

With staff buy-in, student progress and a growing toolkit for daily challenges, Divine Mercy Academy is committed to continuing its use of Reframing Behavior. 

“We’re small, but we’re doing big things,” Brish said. “Every child here is different—different ages, different abilities, different stories. But this training helps us meet each of them where they are.”

And that, she says, is the beginning of real change.