How Arkansas DDS Built a Culture of Safety: 25+ Years of Crisis Prevention in Developmental Disabilities Care

In a field where safety and empathy must go hand-in-hand, the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) has built a legacy of compassionate care—fueled by over 25 years of Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) training focused on preventing crises in its developmental disability centers. 

Through its Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS), DHS operates five Human Development Centers (HDCs) across the state: 24-hour, state-run Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF/DD) serving individuals with developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs. With over 1,300 employees and several hundred residents, these centers represent both a lifeline and a home for some of the most vulnerable Arkansans. 

That level of care demands more than staffing—it requires preparation, empathy, and training that lasts. That’s why DDS has partnered with CPI for more than two decades to build a culture grounded in safety, compassion, and trauma-informed support. 

Comprehensive Services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities 

DDS is one of seven divisions within DHS and is responsible for a wide range of services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Central to its mission are five HDCs—intermediate care facilities that provide 24/7 support for individuals with developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs. 

While many residents live at the HDCs for extended periods, these centers are designed to be more than just places to stay. The focus is on active treatment and rehabilitation, helping residents develop the skills needed to transition back into the community whenever possible.  

“We try to help them rehabilitate and learn to live in the community,” says Assistant Director of DDS-HDC, Tammy Benbrook. “We don’t want someone to check in and not check out. We want them to be able to advance, to live in the community, to cope with their problems and difficulties so they can transition out.” 

The largest of the five HDCs, Conway, serves over 450 residents, including 40 pediatric beds, while the other four support approximately 400 total individuals. This network of care plays a critical role in supporting Arkansans with complex needs. 

Why DDS Chose CPI: A State-Funded Success Story 

Many state-funded organizations face the challenge of delivering high-quality care with limited resources. For DDS, the solution wasn’t a quick fix or one-size-fits-all program. It was a sustainable investment in staff safety and client well-being. The results of that investment are most visible in how staff respond to challenging situations. 

“One thing [that sets us apart] is our staff is trained using CPI,” says Benbrook. “I think that CPI is a safety net too because of the techniques that the staff are using. Not only does it protect the client in the right way, but it's protecting the staff.” It’s a strategy DHS has remained dedicated to for decades.  

Since 1991, DHS has implemented Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^® (NCI™) Training across its facilities. In 2000, the HDCs began integrating it into staff onboarding and ongoing development. Today, more than 1,300 employees across the five centers have received CPI training—including administrative staff, direct care workers, and behavioral health professionals.  

CPI-trained staff aren't an add-on—they are the foundation of how DDS supports a wide range of behavioral needs across all five HDCs.  

Even more compelling is the consistency of that commitment. DDS has 13 active Certified Instructors across its HDCs, helping to maintain program fidelity, promote staff well-being, and to ensure both new and seasoned employees share a common crisis response language. 

Building a Culture of Safety: 25 Years of Crisis Prevention  

Over the past two decades, CPI training has become woven into DDS’s daily operations, expectations, and language. 

With 13 active Certified Instructors across the five centers, CPI training is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process—refreshed, reinforced, and adapted over time. New hires receive it as part of onboarding, and existing staff are regularly recertified. Even administrative staff are trained, helping to create a shared framework for de-escalation and crisis intervention across all roles. 

Rusty Hester, a behavioral health aide in the psychology department of the Booneville HDC, explains: “When you’re dealing with people, they’re unpredictable—and you can’t predict every situation. So the better trained everyone in our organization is, the better we can address any situation that does come up.” 

Hester captures one of the biggest successes with DDS’s investment in CPI:  

By training all staff proactively, staff are prepared not just for the expected—but for the unexpected too.  

The impact made has been a stronger, more resilient team ready for whatever their day brings. 

Enhancing Behavioral Health Support: Advanced Skills & Mental Health Training  

While NCI™ has long been a training staple, DDS took a critical step forward in December 2024 by integrating two additional CPI programs: Advanced Physical Skills (APS) and the Mental Health Specialty Topic Program (STP). 

The change was driven by real-world needs. More residents were showing signs of complex mental health challenges, and the team needed better tools to respond.  

APS provides staff with techniques for safely and effectively responding to dangerous and high-risk behaviors. Meanwhile, the STP equips them to: 

• View behaviors through a mental‑health lens 
• Identify triggers and underlying needs 
• Understand co‑occurring mental health diagnoses 
• Tailor interventions using a trauma-informed, person-centered approach 

The Mental Health STP, in particular, was a game-changer at the HDCs. Benbrook shares why the specialized training was such a natural fit: 

“I think they really liked that because of the type of clients that we’re getting,” she says.  

For Hester, focusing training on mental health has reshaped their training approach: 

 “We’re a dually diagnosed facility, which means people have mental illness and developmental disabilities,” he explains. “So having the mental health part in the CPI course eliminated the need for in‑depth training in other courses. Instead of a four‑hour session, we can do an additional class in two hours. It’s great material—good visuals, presented well—so we didn’t have to come up with our own.” 

What also makes this strategic approach stand out is its reach—residential staff at all five centers now receive all three programs: NCI™, APS, and the Mental Health STP. At the heart of this reach are the instructors making a system-wide impact.

Meet the Instructors: CPI Trainers on the Frontline of Crisis Intervention 

Behind the scenes of any successful training initiative are the Certified Instructors who bring it to life—and DDS has no shortage of dedicated leaders. 

“One of my favorite things to watch is when he [Rusty] does his classes—his scenario-based training, where one person is acting out, and the others get to try and de‑escalate the situation. And then you see how some of them click with it, and then they discuss, ‘What are some other ways to better handle this?’ That’s just one of my favorite things to witness and be a part of,” says Staff Development Coordinator Amanda Krigbaum. 

Krigbaum currently learns under the guidance of Rusty Hester, a longtime team member and CPI Certified Instructor. While she first received CPI training during her onboarding eight years ago, she recently became the department’s newest Certified Instructor—earning her certification shortly after APS and the Mental Health STP were introduced. 

Krigbaum’s enthusiasm captures the power of interactive learning—where staff don’t just practice techniques; they discover what works in real-world scenarios. 

Hester has been a CPI Certified Instructor for three years and has trained over 300 employees during his 15-year career with the organization. He explains what makes CPI unique: 

“CPI training is certainly much more in-depth,” Hester says. “It deals with preventing—where the other trainings didn’t deal massively in prevention. Other trainings are more reactive. But being proactive is much better than being reactive any day.” 

Hester's emphasis on prevention highlights why CPI isn’t just about managing crises—it’s about equipping staff to: 

• identify the warning signs of escalated behavior 
• regulate their own emotions to bring calm to the situation 
• de-escalate with care and compassion 

He also highlights the importance of team support and cross-center collaboration: 

“It takes more than one person to efficiently train at the rate we do,” he says. “Having a team here helps with problem-solving. And we reach out to other HDCs to ask, ‘What are you doing with this?’ That collaboration has been really beneficial. And it’s helped improve our rapport with staff and residents. We have caring people here, but CPI has built stronger relationships through better understanding.” 

Next Steps in Crisis Prevention: CPI’s Evolving Role in DDS 

For DDS, CPI has been more than just a solution—it’s been a partner in protecting progress and preventing crises. Over 25 years of collaboration have produced not only safer environments, but a consistent training culture across a complex network of care facilities. As the Director of DDS, Jennifer Brezée, puts it: 

“Our HDCs have become a safety net for individuals with complex behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disabilities to receive the care they need.” 

What began as a strategic investment decades ago is now a vital part of how staff interact, support residents, and grow as professionals. And with the addition of APS and Mental Health STP, that partnership continues to evolve—meeting residents where they are and equipping staff to safely get them where they need to go.