Healthcare professionals need the skills to keep their patients, their peers, and themselves safe. For certain situations, those skills must involve managing behavioral threats from other people—typically the patients themselves. Required for certain healthcare workers in the state of California, and highly recommended for healthcare workers in all states, this type of training is available in a number of courses. In this guide, we discuss two of them: MAB and CPI.
What is Management of Assaultive Behavior (MAB)?
Short for Management of Assaultive behavior, MAB is a certification course that teaches healthcare professionals how to identify, prevent, and mitigate potentially assaultive situations in medical settings. In California, MAB courses are created in compliance with Bills AB508 and SB1299 of the Health and Safety Code Section Title 22 from the California State Law. MAB courses focus on non-physical strategies for conflict management and de-escalation, giving medical professionals verbal and behavioral tools they can use to keep themselves and those around them safe. MAB courses go by several names, including Assaultive Behavior Training (ABT), Assaultive Behavior Response (ABR), Violence Prevention Training (VPT)—and, most importantly, Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI),
What is Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI)?
Short for Crisis Prevention Intervention, CPI is a conflict-response course designed to help professionals mitigate and de-escalate potentially unsafe behavioral situations. If this description sounds familiar, that’s because it is. CPI and MAB courses cover the same material, each focusing on non-physical strategies for conflict intervention. Often, CPI courses are constructed with a more general lens that applies to professionals in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, childcare, coaching, and other professional group settings. Though most cover the training required for medical professionals in California, CPI courses are an excellent choice for anyone who works with large groups of people.
MAB vs CPI Classes: The Verdict
In summation, there is very little difference between most MAB and CPI certification courses. Both cover non-physical strategies for identifying, preventing, and mitigating potentially unsafe behavior. Both can be completed in a single day, online or in person. Most offered in the state of California are constructed to meet the requirements of the California state law—though students for whom this is especially important should double-check before enrolling. Upon completion of an MAB/CPI course, students will receive a certificate of completion valid for one year. To renew this certification, students must retake and complete the course. Be wary of any provider that offers a 2 year certificate of completion in California. The training is required annually.
Who Should Take MAB Classes? Who Should Take CPI Classes?
Since MAB classes and CPI classes are essentially one and the same, the question is: who should take either of them? In the state of California, the answer is fairly straightforward. According to California State Law, a MAB certification or CPI certification is required for “all employees regularly assigned to an emergency room or psychiatric department.” Though these healthcare professionals are required by law to complete MAB/CPI training, they are by no means the only healthcare professionals that should enroll in a MAB or CPI certification course. Anyone who deals with patients and patient family members regularly should complete this training and earn their certification, as it may prove to be useful (even life-saving) on a regular basis.
Learn More and Enroll Here at SureFire CPR
Need more information on MAB vs CPI classes? Ready to enroll? Our team here at SureFire CPR has you covered. As Southern California’s premier provider of life-saving certification courses, we are proud to offer a 100% online MAB certification course. Created and taught by our award-winning instructors, this course combines proven strategies with real-world examples to effectively teach medical professionals how to manage assaultive behavior. Visit the link above to learn more about our online MAB course and enroll, or contact our team to get more information on the difference between MAB and CPI and the importance of getting MAB certified.
