What Is CPI Certification?

The Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) offers courses that teach educators and caregivers how to diffuse potentially violent situations before they become more serious. CPI certification is earned completing classes that allow you to teach peer intervention methods. Once a participant is certified, he or she can teach others in the workplace how to use the tools they’ve learned. Police departments, hospital employees, social service workers, and teachers may all seek this type of certification.

The training’s central premise is to use the least restrictive methods possible to prevent, intervene, and manage verbal or physical abuse. It teaches people how to communicate with one another in order to deal with anxiety before it becomes physical assault. Students who earn their CPI certification learn how to respond appropriately to various levels of behavior and how to deal with these situations using both verbal and nonverbal techniques.

The client’s or student’s safety, as well as the caregiver’s, is emphasized during training. To protect everyone involved, physical restraint may be used as a last resort. Information on laws governing the use of restraint in various settings is included in the CPI certification. The institute has offices in a number of countries around the globe.

Teachers who work with children with disabilities may encounter disruptive behavior that puts the educator or other students in danger. These professionals learn how to de-escalate situations before they turn violent. They also receive training on how to physically restrain students when necessary for safety, while adhering to regulations that protect people with disabilities’ rights.

CPI certification could be used caregivers in assisted living centers or nursing homes to teach coworkers nonviolent crisis intervention methods to deal with clients. Dealing with elderly clients suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease is a common topic covered in specific classes. Self-examination may be included as part of this training to help students identify attitudes and beliefs that may lead to disruptive behavior.

Custom classes tailored to specific workplace situations may be created CPI certification programs. For example, a business owner might ask for courses on how to prevent and intervene in workplace bullying or methods for dealing with disruptive employees. These issues could be addressed through in-house training to boost employee morale and promote a sense of security.

This training could include a mix of classroom and online crisis prevention classes. Additional courses may be required for students to earn certification in order to prepare them to teach what they have learned. It’s possible that ongoing refresher seminars will be required to maintain CPI certification once it’s been earned.