CPI Training for Human Services

De-escalation training equips staff with evidence-based skills and strategies to safely manage disruptive behaviors and crisis situations before they escalate to violence. This type of workplace violence prevention training focuses on verbal techniques, communication frameworks, and intervention methods that help create safer environments for both staff and those they serve.

CPI's de-escalation training is customized for your workplace's unique roles and risk levels. Whether your organization follows a hands-off policy or requires physical interventions, the training ensures staff learn the specific skills necessary for their roles and the risks they may encounter.

The training encompasses several key components, including common de-escalation communication frameworks, proactive verbal de-escalation strategies, and safety intervention and disengagement skills. Programs range from Verbal Intervention™ training for departments with hands-off policies, to Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^® training that provides skills to safely respond to everyday crises, to advanced programs for facilities supporting individuals who display dangerous or complex behaviors.

To foster a system-wide culture of safety, all staff should receive de-escalation training appropriate to their specific roles and responsibilities.

CPI^® training is widely used throughout human services and the social work profession. Certified Instructors within social work agencies conduct ongoing trainings using CPI courses and materials.

Social workers frequently encounter individuals with complex behavioral needs, whether in child protective services, mental health settings, hospitals, schools, or community-based programs. CPI's evidence-based training programs provide social workers with essential de-escalation skills and crisis intervention techniques that align with social work values of dignity, respect, and person-centered care.

Several CPI training programs are particularly relevant for social workers:

Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^® provides foundational skills in recognizing crisis development, verbal de-escalation techniques, and safe intervention strategies. This training helps social workers respond effectively to challenging behaviors while maintaining therapeutic relationships.

Verbal Intervention™ focuses specifically on communication skills for preventing and de-escalating crisis situations through verbal techniques alone.

Dementia Capable Care training is valuable for social workers in geriatric settings, providing specialized approaches for supporting individuals with dementia and related conditions.

CPI's train-the-trainer model allows social work agencies to develop internal capacity by certifying their own staff as instructors. This embedded approach ensures that crisis prevention skills become integrated into the agency's culture and daily practice, providing ongoing skill reinforcement and cost-effective training delivery.

Many social work agencies, health care systems, and educational institutions have adopted CPI training as their standard for crisis prevention and intervention, recognizing its alignment with trauma-informed care principles and evidence-based practice standards.

CPI^® offers de-escalation training programs for IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) care providers to help support individuals with cognitive and developmental differences.

Primary Training Programs for IDD Care:

Verbal Intervention™ is particularly well-suited for IDD care environments that require hands-off approaches. This program instills confidence and skills to verbally de-escalate complex behaviors and prevent further escalation, making it ideal for organizations with non-restrictive policies.

Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^® provides staff with skills to safely recognize and respond to everyday crisis situations involving more challenging behaviors. This evidence-based program is designed to help achieve compliance with current legislative initiatives and best practices, which is especially important in IDD care settings where regulatory requirements are stringent.

For higher-risk scenarios, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^® With Advanced Physical Skills equips staff with decision-making skills to confidently assess and address risk when facing complex behaviors, combining verbal intervention strategies with advanced physical skills when necessary.

Person-Centered Approach:

Our training programs emphasize person-centered approaches that prioritize understanding the individual behind the behavior. This philosophy is particularly crucial in IDD care, where behaviors often stem from communication challenges, sensory sensitivities, or unmet needs. Staff learn to identify triggers, understand the function of behaviors, and implement proactive strategies that respect individual dignity and autonomy.

Specialized Considerations for IDD Care:

IDD care providers benefit from training that addresses communication adaptations, sensory processing differences, and the importance of routine and predictability. Our programs teach staff to recognize early warning signs, modify environmental factors, and use clear, consistent communication strategies that reduce anxiety and confusion.

As the world's leading provider of evidence-based de-escalation training, CPI^® offers customized consultation services to tailor programs to your organization's specific needs and the unique population you serve.

CPI addresses trauma-informed care in human services settings through comprehensive training programs, practical tools, and evidence-based approaches that help professionals understand trauma's impact on behavior and respond appropriately.

Understanding Trauma's Impact
CPI's approach recognizes that trauma significantly influences thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of both clients and colleagues in human services settings. The training emphasizes learning to interpret behavior effectively as communication, particularly when working with individuals who may have a trauma history.

Practical Tools and Resources
CPI provides a Trauma-Informed Care for Human Services Professionals guide that includes principles for applying a trauma-informed approach, tips to identify and prevent vicarious trauma, and a De-escalation Preferences Form to use with clients and colleagues. This comprehensive screening tool helps gather the right information to provide trauma-informed care to children or adults.

Evidence-Based Practices
CPI recommends specific practices to prevent re-traumatization while empowering individuals to cope more effectively:

• Screening for trauma history using structured assessment tools
• Employing person-centered, strengths-based thinking and language
• Providing stability and empowerment through evidence-based limit setting that supports decision-making opportunities
• Considering physiological, psychological, and social risks of physical interventions, choosing the least restrictive option only as a last resort
• Prioritizing debriefing after crises using the COPING Model℠ to help foster resilience and develop successful coping skills

Integration Across Programs
CPI's Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^® training specifically emphasizes trauma-informed practices as a means of safer and more caring crisis prevention. The philosophy maintains that the safest restraint is the one that never happens, reflecting a trauma-informed understanding of the risks associated with physical interventions.

Through this comprehensive approach, CPI helps human services professionals distinguish between deviant behavior and trauma responses, ultimately improving both staff safety and client well-being.

Yes, nonprofit organizations can access CPI training even with limited budgets through several practical approaches and funding strategies.

Cost-Effective Training Options
CPI offers scalable training solutions that can help nonprofits maximize their investment. The train-the-trainer model allows organizations to develop internal Certified Instructors who can then train multiple staff members, significantly reducing per-person training costs over time. This approach is particularly valuable for nonprofits with larger staff populations or high turnover rates.

For organizations seeking foundational skills across their entire workforce, CPI provides more accessible options like Prevention First™ Online Training for health care settings, Reframing Behavior™ for educational environments, and De-escalation and Violence Prevention Training for Retail. These programs offer essential de-escalation skills at a lower cost point than comprehensive certification programs.

Funding Opportunities
Many nonprofits successfully secure external funding for CPI training through grants and legislative support. State funding initiatives, such as Oregon's Senate Bill 283, demonstrate how government entities recognize the value of CPI training and provide financial support. Nonprofits should explore state and federal grant opportunities, particularly those focused on workplace safety, violence prevention, or staff development.

Foundation grants represent another viable funding source, especially from organizations that prioritize workplace safety, mental health, or community well-being. Many foundations view crisis prevention training as an investment in both staff welfare and service quality.

Strategic Implementation
Organizations with limited budgets should consider phased implementation strategies. Start by training key personnel or those in high-risk positions, then gradually expand training to additional staff as resources become available. This approach allows organizations to demonstrate measurable outcomes that can support future funding requests.

Group training rates and multi-year contracts often provide cost savings. Additionally, collaborating with similar organizations in your region may create opportunities for shared training costs while still maintaining the quality standards that make CPI training effective.

The investment in CPI training typically yields returns through reduced staff turnover, decreased workplace incidents, and improved organizational culture—factors that can ultimately reduce operational costs for budget-conscious nonprofits.

Yes, CPI^® training can significantly reduce workers' compensation claims. Our evidence-based programs demonstrate measurable impact in this area.

Across organizations, 58% of facilities reduced workers' compensation claims by more than one-third after implementing CPI training. In behavioral health care specifically, the results are even more substantial, with 69% of facilities cutting workers' compensation claims by 20% or more.

The reduction in workers' compensation claims stems from multiple factors that CPI training addresses. Organizations report decreased staff injuries, reduced need for restraint and seclusion, and increased staff and patient safety. When staff are better equipped with de-escalation techniques and crisis prevention skills, they experience fewer workplace injuries that lead to compensation claims.

Real-world examples demonstrate this impact. Pine Hills Youth Correctional Facility in Montana experienced both a decrease in staff injuries compared to their three-year average and a decrease in compensation liability from staff injury claims. Similarly, Baptist St. Anthony's Health System saw reduced worker compensation claims as part of their overall safety improvements.

The person-centered and trauma-informed approaches embedded in our training programs create safer work environments where staff feel more confident and prepared to handle challenging situations, ultimately leading to fewer incidents that result in workers' compensation claims.

CPI training supports restraint and seclusion reduction through a comprehensive, evidence-based approach that emphasizes prevention, proper assessment, and safe implementation when necessary.

Prevention-Focused Training
CPI's Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^® program prioritizes prevention by teaching staff to recognize early warning signs of potential crisis situations through the *Crisis Development Model*℠. Staff learn nonverbal and verbal de-escalation techniques to address situations before they escalate to the point where restraint or seclusion might be considered.

Least Restrictive Approach
The training emphasizes that the least restrictive form of intervention should always be considered and utilized first, before any physical restraint. CPI employs a Decision-Making Matrix℠ that helps staff assess the likelihood of behavior and severity of potential harm, ensuring that restrictive interventions are only used as a last resort when someone's behavior creates imminent danger to themselves or others.

Proper Assessment and Monitoring
CPI training includes comprehensive instruction on recognizing signs of physical and psychological distress during interventions. Staff learn to continuously monitor individuals face-to-face and understand specific behavioral changes that indicate when restraint or seclusion is no longer necessary.

Measurable Results
Health care organizations implementing CPI training have demonstrated significant outcomes, including a marked decrease in the need for and use of restraints or seclusion. Some facilities have completely eliminated the use of seclusion while improving staff confidence and patient safety.

Post-Incident Learning
The training emphasizes post-incident debriefing to understand what led to incidents, identify alternative approaches, and modify care plans to prevent future occurrences. This continuous learning approach helps organizations systematically reduce their reliance on restrictive interventions over time.