Millions of students in our school are identified as at risk and troubled emotionally. It is the responsibility of our schools to create a safe, supporting, and nurturing learning environment for children to learn. Without staff having proper knowledge and skills to utilize professional judgment to manage challenging student behavior, staff could unintentionally escalate behavior, creating an unsafe environment. To ensure a safe environment, staff may resort to physical force or seclusion. The use of restraint and seclusion does not have any therapeutic value for students and could lead to physical and psychological injuries for both student and staff. It is vital for staff to be provided with proper training in order to manage these challenging behaviors.

This mixed methods study provides insight for school leaders regarding the positive effect of a staff-training program designed to provide staff with knowledge, skill, and professional judgment, in preparation to manage challenging student behavior. In addition, this study identifies the impact the staff-training program had on decreasing staff injuries. The information derived from this study can help inform the educational field of the importance of preparing staff with the knowledge and skills to enhance their professional judgment to support a safe school climate.