Over five years ago, I set out on a mission to reduce the use of physical restraint and eliminate the use of seclusion in schools nationwide. That mission led me to leave my well-established career to start a nonprofit organization, the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR). While our mission has evolved, the focus of the work has remained constant. Our work is about reducing and eliminating the use of punitive and exclusionary discipline that is causing trauma and harm to children. This journey began because I have a neurodivergent child who was physically restrained, forced into involuntary seclusion, and traumatized by the experience.
Since the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint began, we have influenced positive changes in the world. We have worked with lawmakers to craft policy and support improved legislation. We have raised awareness and educated people about the trauma caused by punitive and exclusionary discipline. We have shared the vital connection between neuroscience and human behavior with many. We have presented at conferences and events and guest lectured for graduate and undergraduate classes. We have worked with families and educators across the world. We have listened to their stories and provided support. I am very proud of the many things we have accomplished since we began. Our mission and work are improving outcomes for parents, caregivers, self-advocates, educators, and others.
Today, I am thrilled to share what I believe to be one of the most significant accomplishments of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint in achieving our mission. I am excited to introduce you to Reframing Behavior, a groundbreaking neuroscience-based educator training program developed by the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) in partnership with the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint. This program brings the neuroscience of behavior to schools, helping school staff understand behavior through the lens of our brain and nervous system. It is a proactive program that prioritizes true crisis prevention, steering us toward a future where physical restraint and seclusion are no longer necessary.
You might wonder how the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR) partnered with the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI). As you know, our mission at AASR is to end the use of seclusion and reduce the use of physical restraint. CPI is a crisis management training provider that provides training on crisis de-escalation and physical skills, including physical restraint. It all started with an email I received on February 5th, 2021, from CPI President Susan Driscoll. In her email, Susan said she was very impressed with AASR’s work and shared that reducing (and ultimately eliminating) restraint and seclusion was a focus for CPI. She also mentioned her interest in helping people understand the connection between the brain and behavior. She suggested in her email that we schedule a call. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am always happy to have a conversation with anyone, even if we might not be aligned in our beliefs. It is sometimes those conversations that hold the most tremendous potential.
My initial discussion with Susan led to more conversations and an opportunity for me to experience and offer feedback on CPI’s Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® (NvCI) Training. I attended a NvCI training event outside of Baltimore, Maryland, and subsequently offered my feedback to Susan. It turns out that the feedback I provided was taken seriously and influenced changes in the third edition of CPI’s NvCI training. After many conversations, in the Fall of 2022, the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR) began a formal collaboration with CPI. In December of 2022, CPI announced our partnership, which would focus on accelerating progress toward the shared goals of eliminating the use of seclusion and reducing the use of physical restraints in schools nationwide. Our goals were ambitious; to accomplish them, we would need to go upstream of crisis management and focus on crisis prevention.
“There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” Desmond Tutu
Now that you know how this collaboration began, let’s talk more about Reframing Behavior. As mentioned, Reframing Behavior is the product of our partnership with the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) and my amazing friend and colleague Connie Persike, M.S., CCC/SLP, an educational consultant and owner of Supportable Solutions. Initially, it was a small team that started developing the program. That team included Susan Driscoll, Connie Persike, me, and Patricia Bosco, a fantastic instructional designer with CPI. Reframing Behavior is a whole school subscription-based training program to help all staff understand how neuroscience connects to learning, behavior, and mental health. Let’s dig deeper. When I say this is a whole school program, the intent is for all staff to participate in the training. We want teachers, paraprofessionals, special educators, and administrators to complete the training, but we also want bus drivers, cafeteria staff, maintenance workers, and office staff to complete the training. As part of the training, CPI trains a facilitator for each school who leads the training at the school. The facilitator will help the schools to develop a plan to train all staff in the program.
The training begins with an initial full day of staff training. The full-day training delves into the four elements of Reframing Behavior. The training begins with Reframe Your Perspective, which focuses on neuroscience. It is about understanding how the brain and nervous system connect to behavior. It is about understanding the stress response system and that not all behavior is intentional. The program then explores a section called Reframe Your Awareness, which focuses on understanding your nervous system and how to support emotional regulation through simple strategies. It helps staff understand that we come first – we must be aware of our regulation so that we can help others – students and colleagues alike. The third element of the program is Reframe Your Actions. Reframing your actions begins with shifting your mindset and understanding that all behavior is not solely a matter of choice. This simple shift empowers you to be curious and ask questions. The final element of the program is called Reframe Your Relationships. This element focuses on developing powerful relationship skills and applying them to everyday situations and behaviors.
The full-day training is just the beginning. In addition to the initial training, the program includes activities and a learning library to continue the journey. The learning library is an expanding repository of on-demand resources, including course micro-learnings, articles, book summaries, videos, and more. The platform includes many activities that schools can incorporate into staff meetings or professional learning communities (PLCs) to continue the learning. Reframing Behavior is not a one-and-done training; it is a journey that can improve outcomes for kids, teachers, families, and the world. It is a path to doing better for children, teachers, and staff.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” Maya Angelou
I am excited about the program and proud of all the hard work that went into creating it. Understanding neuroscience allows us to see ourselves and others through a new lens. This new lens helps us shift from judgment to curiosity. When we are curious, so much is possible. I look forward to seeing the program being implemented in schools nationwide. I am grateful for the amazing team that led this project and all the members of the CPI team who have made this new program a reality. Please check out the new program and share it with our schools and colleagues.
