What is CPS in a Nutshell?

---

A unique and innovative, evidence-based approach for understanding and working with children and adolescents, as well as transition-aged youth, adults, and typically developing children, that is strengths-based and neurobiologically grounded.

An approach designed to work with children and adolescents across a wide variety of settings such as:

• Home
• School / Daycare
• Foster Care
• Therapeutic / Residential Settings
• Agencies and Organizational Service Providers

CPS is a way of operationalizing trauma-informed, inclusive, social-emotional care on a large scale (i.e, system-wide, state-wide, province-wide) through the framework of a common philosophy and language used in a structured relational process.

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM TRANING IN CPS?

• Parents and Family Members
• Educators: Administrators, Teachers, Counselors, School Psychologists, Classified Staff, Aids, Volunteers
• Childcare Providers
• Foster Parents and Agency Staff
• Juvenile Justice Staff
• Mental Health Practitioners
• Medical Practitioners
• Service Providers
• Law Enforcement & Other Public Safety Officers

WHAT'S TO BE GAINED BY LEARNING THE CPS APPROACH?

• The ability to pursue high priority expectations
• The ability to reduce challenging behavior
• The ability to proactively solve problems in a durable manner
• The ability to build skills that the child/individual is lagging
• The ability to preserve or build/re-build a helping relationship while doing all of the above

WHAT'S THE PREMISE OF THE CPS APPROACH?

• Challenging behavior is best understood as a by-product of lagging thinking skills (rather than, for example, as attention seeking, manipulative, limit-testing or a sign of poor motivation).

• These challenges are best addressed by teaching children/people the skills they lack (rather than persisting in the use of punishment and reward systems that have proven unsuccessful thus far, or intensive imposition of adult will).

• While challenging behaviors can look common across populations of children who get lumped into categories, the complexity of lagging thinking skills that set the stage for the challenging behavior can be quite unique to each individual, and assessing these skill deficits properly is key to making progress in solving the problems that are created by the behaviors.

• Proper assessment and planning is key to identifying the lagging thinking skills, and then implementing the CPS process referred to as “Plan B”, which integrates not only skill-building, but all of the components that have been shown to be sound practice for trauma informed care: rhythm, empathy, co-regulation of child/person and parent/practitioner, etc.

SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF TRAINING AND EFFORT? 

Brain research supports the use of CPS: Research by Dr. Bruce Perry (a leading neuroscientist who studies brain impacts of childhood trauma) among others, indicates that numerous aspects of the CPS process, referred to as Plan B, provide components that are critical in order for the brain to develop new neurological pathways that can become the new “default template” required to replace challenging behaviors with new, more adaptable behaviors.

Far less time, effort and agony are expended learning and implementing CPS than any of the following:

1. Imposing adult will in the face of resistance time and time again
2. Coming up with more and more elaborate systems of reward and punishment
3. Revisiting the same issues over and over with little or no skill development

WHAT MAKES CPS WORTH THIS INVESTMENT?

CPS offers outcomes that are rarely, if ever, accomplished by traditional forms of responding to challenging behavior:

1. Proactively solving problems in a durable manner
2. Building skills that the child/individual is lagging
3. Preserving or building/re-building a helping relationship while solving problems

SO WHAT KIND OF TRAINING IS AVAILABLE?

HOW DO I GET TRAINING FOR MY ORGAINIZAITON OR SCHOOL?

CPS training typically occurs in 4 phases starting with parent training, and moves to advanced trainings for teachers, administrators, mental health professionals, parents, caregivers and those who wish to become skilled at a level that will promote consistent impact and fidelity (proper implementation, and resulting outcomes):

1. Parent Training - starts with a 6-Week on-going course that alternates from mornings to evenings to Saturdays with HBCC. This course provides a comprehensive training for the parenting culture to understand what rewards, consequences and ignoring do and do not accomplish and gives an introduction to implementation.
2. Professional Introductory Training – 2-hour Overview provides a foundational understanding of the model and the essential components for implementation.
3. Essential Foundation (Level 1 Training) – a 2-Day training, complete with video modeling, role-playing, and case studies that equips participants to be proficient in solid implementation of the model includes: In-depth exposure to assessment, planning and intervention components; practice identifying triggers and unmet expectations and specific skills deficits, as well as troubleshooting.

Advanced Training (Level 2 Intensive) – Taught exclusively by Think:Kids staff, this level of training is for those who want to gain a deeper level of proficiency and enhance implementation of CPS in the real world. Participants advance their skills for using the approach in the most challenging situations. Upon completion, graduates are eligible to apply to the Certification Course to become experts in CPS.

Certification in CPS - Taught exclusively by Think:Kids staff, this level of training is for those who want to become certified experts in the fidelity of the model in order to utilize implementation in the most difficult situations.  Once Certified in CPS, you will join the Think:Kids Certified Community and receive ongoing training and support from Think:Kids. As a member, you receive access to resources and materials where you will be formally recognized as an expert in CPS/TK.

Trainer of Trainers of CPS - Taught exclusively by Think:Kids staff, this level of training is for those who want to teach the model to others in schools, agencies and facilities, in an equitable and inclusive manner. You will be able to display the Certified Trainer in CPS/TK seal as part of your personal credential. For organizations, Trainer Certification is the best way to instill CPS into your program’s culture in a sustainable way and be able to address systemic issues such as leadership during culture change and enhancing communication structures.

For more information about trainings contact HBCC at:

Tustin Office: (714) 695-1057

info@hbcc.us 

You can also reach out Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital 

https://thinkkids.org/