Crisis Intervention Training Program – (Children in Educational Settings, Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders; Children with Complex Needs)

Recognized by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and endorsed by Public Service Health and Safety Association, and Workplace Safety Prevention Services. Safe Management Group’s Crisis Intervention Training Programs are designed to meet the individual training needs within your educational and/or children’s service organization. Developed by a team of psychologists, behaviour analysts/therapists and physical intervention specialists, Safe Management Group’s Crisis Intervention Training program uses evidence-based practices and techniques that are customized to address the unique behaviour and safety risks associated with working with children.  Participants who successfully complete this course will receive a certificate of completion. At Safe Management Group we strive to be leaders in transforming peoples’ lives on their path to learning. We accomplish this by providing high quality training and consultation with care and respect.

All children’s service agencies that receive funding from the MCCSS must train their staff on the prevention and use of physical restraint. Safe Management’s Crisis Intervention Program meets the requirements of Ontario Regulation 299/10 and the Policy Directives for Service Agencies.

Our program is divided into two main areas:

 Prevention

• Risk Management: focuses on various levels of risk; child, staff, guardian(s)and environment. Participants will be taught how to mitigate these risks with the over-arching goal to increase safety by preventing situations that may lead to crises.
• Relationship Management: recognizing that most crises occur as a result of the quality of relationships with others. Our program teaches seven principles of Relationship Management with associated strategies and techniques. These principles help create and sustain nurturing and supportive relationships with individuals. They can also be used, in the moment, to de-escalate aggressive situations.
• Behaviour Management: This section focuses on Functions of Behaviour, or why individuals do what they do.  Participants will work through a series of questions that will assist them in understanding behaviour. Participants will be able to identify triggers and early warning signs of escalation. The final aspect of this section will teach the importance of establishing thorough and concrete behaviour support plans, including strategies and interventions to prevent and manage at risk behaviour.

Management

• Aggression Management: This section of the program describes how to assess the development of an aggressive situation in terms of four phases and how to incorporate these findings into an understandable “escalation continuum” for both child behaviour and staff response. How to integrate effective behaviour support plans into a concrete escalation continuum is also addressed. This section recognizes that not all children escalate in the same manner and that responses must be tailored appropriately. The elements of effective team communication and functioning to respond appropriately to crises are also highlighted. Debriefing staff and children, following crisis episodes, is also are strongly emphasized.