Crisis Prevention Institute
A Commitment to Safer Workplaces

The rise of workplace violence incidents is an ever-increasing concern across industries worldwide, but nowhere is it more prevalent than the healthcare sector. Verbal abuse, harassment, mobbing, physical assault, and emotional and psychological distress are everyday occurences for many healthcare workers, nurses in particular. Such anxious, hostile, disruptive, and assaultive behavior at the workplace undermines the health, safety, personal and professional well-being of workers. The immediate and long-term consequences of the crisis include low productivity and employee satisfaction, high turnover rates, and few answers for employers who are struggling to fill critical positions.

In response to this crisis, many organizations are turning to nonviolent crisis intervention training solutions that give their workers the necessary tools and confidence to respond proactively and reduce the incidents of workplace violence. One provider of this type of training to the healthcare industry is the Milwaukee-based Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI). With over 40 years of experience in behavioral management and de-escalation training programs and services, the company is considered the gold standard for violence prevention training services.

CPI is one of the leading training organizations focused on crisis prevention and intervention training and methods for healthcare employees that focus on quality care and services in a secure and respectful environment. “Our training methods have proven to be effective in safely resolving high-risk situations, thereby significantly reducing violence and improving safety in the workplace,” says Susan Driscoll, President of CPI.

The company takes a comprehensive workplace violence prevention approach, developing and delivering a range of training programs and methods for varying risk levels.

Nonviolent crisis intervention training and advanced skills training are designed for medium- and highrisk situations, while verbal intervention training focuses on de-escalation techniques and safe, non-restrictive interventions.CPI’s full-time team of Global Program Instructors come into facilities to train key employees as Certified Instructors. These Certified Instructors then train their peers to identify the stages of an escalating crisis and respond to each stage appropriately.

During the training period, these Certified Instructors assess and validate the learners’ competency and issues a credential, called a Blue Card®, that shows others in the organization that they are trained. Regular refreshers and training renewals help ensure that healthcare workers are current with their skills and techniques.

What truly differentiates CPI from its competitors is an unwavering dedication to quality and consistency in training programs, and a support network designed to help clients achieve positive outcomes on an ongoing basis. CPI’s commitment has never been more evident as during the pandemic. The company saw the need to train healthcare professionals who have experienced a wave of both critically ill patients and workplace violence, yet recognized the challenges of delivering in-person training. To that end, CPI leveraged its available technology platforms and switched to virtual training mode, in addition to making its training videos and other resources accessible to Certified Instructors for conducting this virtual training.

CPI’s competitive edge is best illustrated by the myriad success stories from healthcare organizations who have implemented the training. One example that Susan cites is a health system struggling with physical restraints and workers’ complaints. CPI stepped in to train Certified Instructors, who in turn trained more than 700 staff members, helping the client achieve a remarkable 93 percent reduction in the number of physical restraints. To top it off, 95 percent of staff stated that they felt more confident to deal with these situations as a result of the training.

Going forward, CPI is poised to focus more on its existing segments such as healthcare, education, and human services. The company intends to deploy coordinated action across any health system to support healthcare institutions in creating safer working environments. “We endeavor to develop appropriate and affordable training so that everyone in the hospital can share a harmonious approach,” Susan says.