Draper families whose children attend Alpine School District schools on the Utah County side will find staff trained in a new crisis de-escalation program when classes begin Wednesday, Aug. 19.

The district spent the summer certifying special education teachers, bus drivers, paraprofessionals and administrators in Safety-Care, a 12-hour program in crisis prevention and behavioral support, according to the district's news page. Key staff in those roles completed the training to become certified Safety-Care specialists, with annual recertification required going forward.

"The biggest surprise was how much influence an adult's own demeanor, tone of voice, body language, and emotional regulation can have on the outcome of a crisis," said Rex Brimhall, Alpine's Director of Transportation West, who completed the training alongside frontline staff. "It was a valuable reminder that staying calm and intentional is one of the most effective intervention strategies."

What the training covers

Safety-Care is a national curriculum developed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts and grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis and positive behavioral intervention frameworks. Royd Darrington, Alpine's Director of Special Education, said district leaders chose it because it aligns with Utah state statutes and district policies.

The 12-hour course uses hands-on role-playing: trainees practice recognizing early warning signs like fidgeting or pacing, then rehearse supportive verbal prompts, vocal tone adjustments and safe physical positioning before a situation escalates.

Darrington said the program's emphasis is proactive. Rather than training staff to react after a crisis erupts, the curriculum focuses on keeping situations from reaching that point.

Who is trained

The certified group includes school and district administrators, special education teachers, bus drivers, paraprofessionals and BCBAs. Brimhall said completing the training alongside staff allows leaders to provide informed coaching across the district.

Nationally, Safety-Care's developer QBS reports that participating organizations have seen a 70% decrease in hours spent in seclusion and a 58% decrease in hours spent in restraint. Those are aggregate figures across more than 3,700 organizations; Alpine-specific outcomes are not yet available.

Context for Draper families

Alpine School District served roughly 86,600 students as of 2023-24, including those in Draper's Utah County neighborhoods. The district is in its final year of operation before splitting into three new districts on July 1, 2027. Draper's Alpine-side schools will transition to the new Aspen Peaks School District, which will serve about 35,000 students across 36 schools.

Whether Safety-Care certification will carry over to Aspen Peaks has not been addressed publicly.

School starts Wednesday, Aug. 19.