Amazingly, the vast majority of crisis management programs have little or no research backing. Now the good news here: the CPS model isn’t a crisis management program…it’s a crisis prevention program. And it is definitely evidence-based.
Below is a fraction of the research that has accumulated documenting the effectiveness of the CPS model, in this case the dramatic reduction of the use of restraint and seclusion. In the first graphic below, you’ll find restraint and seclusion data from a school system in Maine over the last six years. The CPS model was implemented during the 2019-20 school year, resulting in dramatic reductions in the use of both restraint and seclusion.
The second graphic below depicts restraint and seclusion data for the largest school system in Virginia over the past five years. The CPS model was implemented during the 2020-21 school year, again resulting in near-elimination of seclusion and dramatic reductions in restraints.
One thing’s for certain: the more we teach staff how to manage crises, the more they manage crises. Amazing what happens when schools shift from crisis management to True Crisis Prevention. Better for the kids…better for the staff…better for everyone.