Become CPI Certified in Crisis Prevention and Intervention

If you are looking for CPI Certification the two best programs are:

Crisis Consultant Group certification — $139

Crisis Prevention Institute certification — $1,849

Crisis situations can arise at any moment, especially for professionals working in healthcare, education, human services, and security roles. Being CPI certified in crisis prevention and intervention prepares you to handle tense situations with empathy, safety, and precision. This blog covers everything you need to know about CPI Certified — from the training format and exam specifics to the career benefits for nurses, teachers, social workers and more. Read on to learn why CPI Certified should be part of your professional journey.

What is CPI Certified?

CPI Certified teaches evidence-based strategies to individuals and teams working in challenging, high-risk environments. The CPI training program is delivered by the Crisis Prevention Institute, a leading membership organization that has offered crisis intervention education for over 40 years.

Participants of the highly-regarded CPI Certified learn foundations in:

• Nonviolent crisis intervention® methodology
• Verbal de-escalation techniques
• Prevention strategies
• Trauma-informed care approaches
• Post-crisis support

The culmination of the CPI training is a certification exam. Upon passing, you earn the Certified Instructor (CPI) credential.

Can You Get CPI Certified Online?

CPI crisis intervention courses were traditionally only available through live seminars. However, today’s professionals can become CPI certified through online CPI training courses as well.

The online program delivers the same International Crisis Intervention curriculum in a self-paced digital format. Learners watch video lessons, engage with scenario-based activities, and take knowledge checks during the virtual training.

At the end, online students take the CPI exam through a proctored testing site. The certification has no difference from the in-person CPI credential.

Why Become CPI Certified? Benefits for Nurses, Teachers and More

CPI Certified holds tremendous value for staff in healthcare centers, schools, group homes, security departments and human services.

With crisis intervention skills from CPI training, nurses, teachers, social workers and other personnel gain:

• Greater confidence in tense situations
• Ability to address crisis moments humanely
• Skills to de-escalate anxiety and aggression
• Knowledge of restraint methods and when to avoid them
• Trauma-informed caregiving expertise
• Tools to counsel and support distressed individuals

Employers also reap advantages by having CPI certified team members, such as:

• Safer workplaces with fewer violent incidents
• Healthier organizational culture and staff retention
• Alignment with program regulations and state policies
• Patient/student/client relationships built on trust

Below we detail the specific benefits of CPI Certified for leading professions.

CPI Certified for Nurses

Nurses routinely care for people undergoing immense physical suffering and emotional duress. As frontline healthcare workers, they must know how to safely respond to erratic, aggressive, or hazardous behavior.

With CPI training, nurses learn to:

• Anticipate crisis triggers and situations
• Employ trauma-informed language and actions
• Develop therapeutic rapport with patients
• Apply restraints appropriately and avoid unnecessary use
• Support patients after an incident

These crisis intervention capabilities create:

• A more empathetic practice overall
• Safer healthcare environments
• Greater trust between patients and nursing staff

Additionally, the ANCC recognizes CPI Certified as 15 hours of training towards renewal requirements. The CPI credential also aligns with Magnet Recognition standards around communication, leadership, and knowledge.

CPI Certified for Teachers

Teachers aim to create an engaging classroom culture where all students can thrive. However, moments of anxiety, distress, or aggression sometimes occur — especially among groups impacted by trauma, abuse, bullying, or learning disorders.

With CPI Certified, teachers and school staff enhance their skills to:

• Recognize signs of crisis in students
• Employ trauma-informed language during tense moments
• Avoid power struggles while maintaining classroom authority
• Use approved restraint methods only when the safety of students or staff relies on it
• Support students after difficult incidents
• Partner with parents around minimize behavioral issues

Such knowledge helps teachers provide quality care and education while preventing injuries, burnout, or liability issues. Many states actually mandate crisis intervention training for public school personnel.

Administrators also gain assurance that CPI certified staff can safely and legally respond to extreme student behavior.

CPI Certified for Security and Human Services

Security team members, social workers, home health aides, and group home staff operate in unpredictable environments as well. CPI Certified equips personnel across human services and security roles to:

• Establish rapport with vulnerable clients
• Identify triggers and warning signs
• Resolve issues through peaceful communication
• Protect themselves and clients when risk is severe
• Uphold trauma-informed principles during interventions
• Guide people to further support after a crisis

With these professional development skills from CPI training, staff gain greater preparedness to care for clients while avoiding workplace violence. Organizations also benefit through improved safety ratings, positive inspection reports, and reduced liability.

CPI Certified Details: Requirements, Cost and Renewal

If CPI Certified appeals to your professional journey or organizational needs, below are key details to know:

CPI Certified Requirements

CPI has no formal prerequisites to enroll in training. However, the course does require:

• Commitment to completing lessons fully
• Willingness to participate in role-playing activities
• Openness to coaching during scenario-based sessions
• Focus evaluating one’s own responses
• Professional conduct throughout the course
• Passing score of 84% on the CPI exam

Participants receive the two-year CPI credential upon passing the multiple-choice exam.

CPI Certified Cost

• In-person CPI training ranges from $219 to $3,000 depending on the course type, number of participants, customization needs, and location.
• Online CPI Certified costs around $170 to $500 per enrollee. Volume discounts are available.
• Some employers cover the cost of CPI courses for their personnel. Reach out to your human resources department to inquire about subsidies for professional training.

Renewing a CPI Certified

To renew a CPI credential, certification holders simply retake the full-length course and pass the exam again. Renewal pricing ranges from $129 to $245.

Many organizations actually fund and mandate CPI recertification every two years to ensure personnel maintain expertise in crisis intervention.

CPI Certified Sets You Apart as a Seasoned Healthcare, Education or Human Services Professional

Crisis prevention and intervention capabilities strengthen any resume, especially for nurses, teachers, social workers, security staff, home health aides, and related roles. Highlighting your CPI Certified conveys to employers that you own the expertise to safely and humanely navigate high-tension situations.

Earning this distinguished crisis intervention training credential demonstrates you meet industry standards around trauma-informed communication, de-escalation techniques, restraint methods, warning signs recognition, and post-crisis support.

Let CPI Certified advance your career while making a positive impact in your workplace culture and client relationships. The Crisis Prevention Institute provides the curriculum to skillfully handle crises through prevention principles rather than reactive force.

Here’s a continuation of the article with additional details on becoming CPI certified:

The CPI Certified Process Step-by-Step

Earning your CPI credential takes just a few simple steps. Here is an overview of what to expect when you enroll in CPI training:

1. Select Your Training Format

As mentioned, CPI courses are available either online or through in-person seminars. Choose the learning environment that aligns best with your schedule, learning preferences, and budget.

Both formats deliver the full crisis intervention curriculum over 8–16 hours. The online course simply allows for more flexibility to complete CPI training at your own pace.

2. Engage in the Virtual or Live CPI Lessons

Next, dive fully into the CPI material through the virtual campus or live seminar.

Over 8–16 hours, you will gain strategies and knowledge around:

• Principles of Nonviolent Crisis Intervention®
• Empathic communication approaches
• Warning signs of anxiety and aggression
• Trauma-informed care
• Verbal de-escalation skills
• Safe physical intervention procedures
• Post-crisis support for individuals in distress

Apply these learnings through activities like role plays, small group discussions, and self-reflections.

3. Pass the CPI Certified Exam

After covering all the educational content, you must pass the CPI Certified exam. The test features 50 multiple choice questions on the crisis prevention and intervention topics reviewed during the course.

To earn your credential, you must score 84% or above on this culminating exam.

4. Display Your CPI Certificate

Once you pass the test, you will immediately receive an electronic CPI certificate confirming your new credential. The e-certificate verifies completion of the full CPI training and shows you are certified in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® principles.

You can save, print, download, and share your CPI certificate. Add the credential to your resume, LinkedIn profile, and performance reviews as well.

5. Renew Your Certification Every Two Years

Like most industry certifications, you must renew a CPI credential every two years through retaking the full course and passing the exam again.

Many healthcare facilities, school systems, and human service organizations actually cover the cost of CPI recertification for their nurses, teachers, social workers, security personnel, and other staff. Be sure to ask your workplace about renewing your crisis intervention expertise every two years.

Becoming CPI Certified Accelerates Your Career

Let CPI Certified advance you to the next level professionally. This prestigious crisis intervention training credential sets you apart in fields like:

• Nursing
• Medicine
• Mental health
• Education
• Security
• Social work
• Home healthcare
• Group residential services

Highlight your CPI Certified on your resume, websites, and professional profiles. The credential proves to employers, colleagues, and clients that you own superior expertise in evidence-based, trauma-informed crisis prevention and intervention.