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FAQ's
Why does The Mandt System® keep on talking about “restraint free environments” but still teach the use of restraint?
Answer: The term “restraint free” describes a goal, a dream, the way things should be. Without a dream, there is no movement from what we now experience towards the goals we want to achieve. We truly and seriously want to help organizations provide training that empowers people to get so good at non-physical interventions and preventions that physical interventions become a thing of the past. But until we get there, we need to teach a way of using physical interventions which maximizes safety and minimizes risk. If people do not know what to do when there is a high risk of harm, their fear will take over and then they may do things that result in even greater harm and injury.Why is The Mandt System® training program longer than most other programs?
Answer: We can not tell you why other programs may not be as lengthy as our program. We can tell you that we looked at standards of training in various state and federal legislation both in the US and Canada, and the material taught in The Mandt System®, at a minimum, meets all of the training standards in the Children’s Health Act of 2000, Parts H and I (Public Law 106-310, U.S. federal law), the Developmental Services Act, Regulation 272, Part VI (Ontario, Canada), as well as standards developed by organizations such as the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO), the Council on Accreditation (COA), CARF, the American Correctional Association (ACA), and all known state regulations. A five day training program beginning at 8:00 AM and ending at 5:00 PM is the only way we could provide this comprehensive training program.
Under the guidelines of The Mandt System®, the agency staff training can be adjusted to the needs of the agency.Why does The Mandt System® change their manuals and training so often?
Answer: In order to keep people as safe as possible. The term “Practice Based Evidence” means that organizations such as ours have to show evidence that what we teach is effective in maintaining the safety of all people. In addition to collecting data about restraint use, we also look at data about non-physical interventions that are effective, and incorporate that information into our program. We also know that it is difficult to respond to all the expectations people face as they deliver services and supports in education, developmental disability, mental health, correctional, substance abuse, and other settings that use our programs. The fact, however, is that in all these settings changes are made frequently based on new information. At The Mandt System® we review our material every 2 years as we research and review the latest standards and regulations.Does The Mandt System® teach restraint on the floor?
Answer: The Mandt System® does not teach any type of floor restraints. Several years ago Mr. Mandt wanted to discontinue teaching floor restraints as part of our training. However, facilities and agencies mandated the continuation of floor restraint or they would discontinue using The Mandt System®. In 1998 The Harford Courant did an investigative report titled Deadly Restraint documenting the high number of deaths, which occur on the floor (estimated by the General Accounting Office at 150 per year). This gave ample justification to remove floor restraints from our training.
However, we do address how to respond to situations in which staff find themselves on the floor with a person they are serving, and how to keep themselves and others safe.
As a note there are several states (i.e., Georgia, Tennessee, Washington) as well as others that have or are considering prohibiting the use of floor restraints.The Mandt System® used to be used primarily in service settings for people affected by developmental disabilities. The new manuals have fewer references to disabilities. Are you phasing out of this area?
Answer: No, absolutely not. The Mandt System® has and is being used in settings that serve people whose needs vary, but whose common denominator is this: people are paid to provide services to other people. Our programs are being used in regular education as well as special education, colleges, psychiatric centers, residential treatment centers, small community based programs and large facility based programs. We are not phasing anything out, we are merely emphasizing the commonalities we all share as human beings, and helping you adapt specific principles to your unique settings. In fact we have added a number of other programs and are currently working on others.Why do you require trainers to renew certification every two years?
Answer: More and more federal and state regulations as well as accreditation standards are emphasizing “competency based training.” In order to ensure competency over time, we feel it is necessary to assess and upgrade the skills of trainers on a regular basis. We have utilized this competency based training approach since 1975.What do you charge for training curriculum, student manuals, and other training materials?
Answer: Our charge of $1,225.00 (US) for new trainer certification and $910.00 (US) for trainer re-certification covers all costs of a trainer manual, student manual, overheads, activities, and training drills. We do not charge for student manuals, we do not charge for any training done by certified trainers in their own facilities. A CD-ROM presentation is included in this cost which contains almost 200 slides which can be used by certified trainers as they teach the course.How do Mandt System® physical techniques differ from those taught by other programs?
Answer: We can not tell you how our techniques are different because we have not been certified in the techniques taught by other programs. We can tell you that none of our techniques utilize hyper-extension of joints, trigger points, pressure point or pain, techniques which keep a person off balance, forcing a person against a wall or into a chair, or forcing a person to the floor (i.e., take down techniques).Where are training programs conducted?
Answer: We will provide training in any geographical area in the United States or Canada where a minimum of 12 people are registered for a training program.How long does it take to train staff in an organization once a person in the organization has been certified as a trainer in The Mandt System®?
Answer: The answer to this question very much depends upon the chapters being trained. The foundation of the Relational Level is the pre-requisite to all other chapters in The Mandt System®. In order for staff in an organization to be certified in The Mandt System® Relational, program staff must demonstrate 100% competency in the written test. We recommend that this be done in a one day or eight hour period. Organizations can choose which chapters they will train from the Conceptual and Technical Levels. For staff to be certified at the Technical level, they must demonstrate 100% competence in all written and physical demonstration tests. We recommend that this be done in a second eight hour day. If certified trainers provide training in the Conceptual Level chapters as well, we recommend adding a third day to the instruction process.Why does The Mandt System® require staff to pass at 100% competency? Other programs say they require 80% or 90% competency.
Answer: Again, we can not talk to standards set by other organizations. We believe that staff must have 100% competency at the time of testing because people experience skill drift or they will lose competence and skill over time. We have done audits where we have tested staff in organizations who were trained by certified trainers, and found an overall 82% competence level in testing. If we had a lower standard at the time of initial training, we believe the level of competence of staff three to six months after training would be even lower.How long does certification last?
Answer: Trainers are certified to teach The Mandt System® for two years. People who are certified in organizations by certified trainers have a one year certification period.Are you available for phone and e-mail consultation after training?
Answer: Yes. There is never any charge for phone consultation or e-mail consultation. We do provide on-site consultation, and a fee is negotiated with the organization for these consultation services.How does The Mandt System® teach de-escalation skills?
Answer: In the Relational, Conceptual, Technical level training programs five out of the ten chapters teach specific non-physical skills to assist and support people to de-escalate from wherever they are in The Crisis Cycle. The chapters include specific verbal and non-verbal communication skills, conflict resolution skills, and a chapter on Positive Behavior Support as a specific way of helping people to achieve the goals of their behavior in ways that do not harm themselves and/or others.Does The Mandt System® address any of the legal issues facing people involved in human services?
Answer: Yes, we have a chapter in the Conceptual Level program that addresses Liability and Legal Issues. The author of this program is an Expert Witness on the topic of restraint use and frequently works with the U.S. Department of Justice.
