UPDATE.. 7/23/2005

Camp Death Leads to Murder Charges in Georgia. 

A child died while in a prone restraint in which camp counselors refused to give the child his inhaler and held him for over an hour. The system used was unnamed (it was not PCM) and training staff claimed that their staff were never authorized to use prone restraint. Like all reports of prone deaths, there are no descriptions of the exact positioning of the individual, of the staff, or of the name of the system and specific procedures used. Increasing numbers of individuals are fearful that prone holding is inherently dangerous (PCM has proven otherwise). This concern over prone holding has arisen because of articles like the one referenced here ( We at PCMA do not doubt that staff employed a dangerous procedure, but, unfortunately, that exact procedure (if it even was a formal procedure) will most likely remain unknown. Please see our white paper on misconceptions about prone holding. 

.UPDATE.. 3/19/2004
PCMA is now an ACE provider of Type 2 CEUs for Board Certified Behavior Analysts. We are offering 4 CEUs for the Instructor Certification course as well as 2 CEUs for the Instructor Re-certification course. These CEU's are available for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) as well as associates (BCABA). We will also be providing a series of CEU events in the coming year covering a variety of topics in behavior analysis  Please contact us if you have any questions or comments.

.UPDATE.. 4/3/2002
The Practitioner Manual has been updated 
click here

..UPDATE.. 3/4/2002
PCM is now approved for CEU's!
click here

..UPDATE.. 2/20/2002
Dr. Merrill Winston has been newly employed as Director of Program Development.  click here

..UPDATE.. 2/25/2002
PCMA has begun work on a one-day Basic certification course! click here

..UPDATE.. 2/25/2002
PCMA now offers a 14 hour Practitioner Course for persons who do not need immobilization procedures. click here

..UPDATE..What's new for guests, parent's, educators and human service providers
click here

..UPDATE..Parent training in PCMA is now available.
click here

..UPDATE..Florida Developmental Disabilities Counsel awards grant to PCMA for parent crisis management training. click here

..UPDATE..The governor's commission for educational standards invites the PCMA to share information and recommendations regarding standards for use of physical interventions in schools. click here

PCMA is pleased to announce that the Practitioner manual, exam, and checklist has been updated to reflect the new level of certification called "Practitioner." Practitioners can implement all PCM non-physical procedures as well as all transportation and personal safety procedures but are not certified to implement any immobilization procedures. The manual has also been updated and revised in general as we find new and relevant information. Please familiarize yourself with the new manual before your next training. As usual Instructors may request a free copy of the updated manual. There are now 3 types of Practitioner certification: Practitioner, Practitioner 1 (formerly Level 1), and Practitioner 2 (formerly Level 2). Please note that the exams (written and practical) have also been updated so please familiarize yourself with the changes accordingly. 
     To exchange your old materials for updated materials, send each complete, unopened packet (must have both manual and exam attached) to PCMA, Inc. PCMA will replace each complete, unopened packet with a new version. Allow at least two weeks for the new manuals to arrive

The Professional Crisis Management Association is pleased to announce that Dr. Merrill Winston has joined our organization as Director of Program Development. Dr. Winston has a doctorate in behavior analysis from Auburn University and is a state and national board certified Behavior Analyst. He has extensive treatment experience working with individuals with dual diagnosis and developmental disabilities and is recognized for his expertise in forensic consultation and the behavioral application of psychotropic medications. He is an experienced crisis manager and has been a PCM instructor for over 10 years. Dr. Winston will spearhead the development of the next generation of PCM instructional materials. In addition, he will be providing consultation and seminars to clinical and legal professionals in the areas of behavioral and legal consultation, including the behavioral application of psychotropic medications and expert witness testimony.

PCMA has begun the process of developing a new one-day basic course with no physical interactions of any kind. The course will focus on the prevention and de-escalation of crisis behaviors in an easy to teach format. Ultimately, this will be the same information that will be part of the other PCM courses. This course will be designed for individuals working with persons who may not require physical interventions and/or for those staff who wish to help prevent crises but may not be able to physically intervene with the people they serve. Practitioners will learn basic skills for identifying things that lead to crises, things to teach, and ways to de-escalate pre-crisis behaviors. There will also be a detailed addendum so instructors may provide additional content in specific areas. Our one-day course will differ from other systems in that practitioners will learn general skills that can be applied in a wide variety of settings and with a broad range of individuals. Please visit our site for new information on this important new course!

PCMA now offers a 14 hour Practitioner Course that includes a reduced set of physical assistance strategies. Vertical and Prone Immobilization are not included in this course. The rest of the material is identical to our other courses with the exception of a few personal safety procedures and immobilization. Please contact us for more information regarding new checklists.

Welcome Consumers. PCMA is proud to provide you information on our ever expanding network of integrated programs and services. Please visit us often and don't forget to e-mail us with your questions, comments, requests for additional information or to arrange for a free demonstration.

The DD Counsel of Florida convened a group of parents, educators and clinicians who reviewed several crisis management programs for the purpose of funding crisis management training for parents of children with developmental disabilities. After an intensive critical review of these systems the panel unanimously selected PCM.

PCMA was recently requested to present information on crisis management to a special commission appointed by the governor to study and create standards for "the use of physical force" in Florida schools. Main points presented involved the clinical benefits of painless and natural body positioning, and the incorporation of systematic teaching of independent walking through shaping successive approximations. Most of the commission members were pleased to see the benign procedures of PCM in contrast to the intrusive and dangerous physical movements incorporated in other crisis management systems.