Last week, our awesome Social Media Manager, Becky, was out at a conference. She called me in as her backup to monitor our accounts and post anything urgent. So, I got a chance to spend more time than usual on our CPI Facebook Page.
 
We received a message one evening, from a gentleman named Brad. His message delighted and saddened me at the same time:
 
Thank you for having this page. I have learned more about CPI in the few months that I’ve followed it than in the 10 plus years of CPI training I’ve received. We have been taught CPI is a restraint system, not a system to prevent restraint. Although they mainly blow it off I’m constantly sharing info from your page with my coworkers in hopes we can look to not restrain kids rather than to restrain kids. Thanks for all the awesome info.
 
I’m so thrilled that Brad sees our Facebook page as full of useful information. And, I’m glad that he likes our posts so much that he’s sharing them. It seriously makes me thankful and proud to be surrounded by an awesome team that produces great info about keeping people safe.
 
But, I’m equally saddened to read that Brad has been taught that CPI is a restraint system, rather than a system to prevent restraint.
 
Ever since I joined CPI in 2012, I’ve heard that this perception exists. And, even most recently, I heard about it again when we attended the Council for Exceptional Children conference.
 
Even when I tell people I work for the Crisis Prevention Institute and explain what we do, the immediate reaction is somewhere along, “Wow, you guys must see some pretty crazy stuff.”
 
But when I take a step back and explain that we’re actually focused on the Prevention, rather than the Crisis, it’s met with a sigh of relief, and “Really? Sounds like everyone could benefit from that training.”
 
Of course, I wholeheartedly agree. But if one or more of the organizations we train focus only on the physical component of our program, then we have much more work to do in our messaging.
 
Like we’ve always said, we want to empower you with all the tools you need to handle difficult situations safely. Our aim is to help you always consider the entire realm of options available to you during any crisis moment—and to always choose the least restrictive intervention possible.
 
And we are always here to help you maximize the power of our training. If you’re a Certified Instructor, don’t hesitate to call us and troubleshoot your challenges. We’re here to answer your questions about how to handle tough situations as safely as possible for everyone. You can also discuss options with CPI staff and your fellow Instructors in the Instructor Community.
 
I want to thank Brad for his message. I’m inspired that he sees it the way he does. And, I’m glad he shared his experience with us, so that we can continue to refine the tools we offer and honor our mission to help you educate, empower, and enrich your workplace.
 
How do you focus on prevention? Give us a shout if we can help you make sure your staff is confident in all their skills!