What is CPS?

The Principles of the Collaborative Problem Solving Model (CPS)

The principles of the Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) was developed by Ross Greene and Stuart Ablon out of Boston. The Model provides a framework for understanding kids with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. The model is based on research in the neurosciences suggesting that challenging kids have failed to develop cognitive skills in the area of flexibility/adaptability, frustration and problem solving.

It is the belief that Children Will Do Well If They Can. 

If they can not do well it is a result of a skill defecit. Not an effort issue. Our responsibility is to determine what is missing and teach them the  skills they lack.

As a result, children continue to repeat the same behaviors over and over again Until they have the skill set to produce different outcomes. Each behavior is precipitated by a clear and distinct trigger. Children’s behaviors are highly predictable.

At Ohio Hospital, staff are taught to identify each child’s  individual triggers and their corresponding behaviors. Through daily interaction, staff teach clients and families to resolve problems in a mutually satisfactory manner… skills that will last well beyond a client’s placement in our program. Skills that a resident will need in the real world.

Our goal is to decrease the intensity, frequency, and duration of each child’s behavior.

The teaching of these skills may be accomplished in a variety of ways, but primarily through helping challenging children and their adult caretakers learn to resolve disagreements and disputes in a collaborative, mutually satisfactory manner. This involves three basic steps.

1. Empathy/Reassurance: The first step is to identify and understand the child’s concern about a given issue (such as completion of homework or chores, sibling or peer interactions, and so forth) and reassure him or her that imposition of adult will is not how the problem will be resolved.
2. Define the Problem: The second step is to identify the adults’ concerns on the same issue (this is called “Define the problem” step because, in the CPS model, a problem is defined simply as two concerns that have yet to be reconciled).
3. Invitation: The third step is where the child is invited to brainstorm solutions together with the adult, with the ultimate goal of agreeing on a plan of action that is both realistic and mutually satisfactory.

Because of its effort on skill building and problem solving the CPS model dramatically reduces explosive, acting out behavior.

Sounds a bit complicated!

The CPS takes practice and takes time to get good at. As you might imagine, because CPS represents a bit of a departure from the conventional wisdom, many people have misconceptions about the model. For example, some folks believe that implementing CPS means that adults must eliminate all of their expectations (it doesn’t mean that at all), or that we’re simply making excuses for the child (understanding a child’s challenges and helping him or her overcome these challenges is a far cry from making excuses…it’s hard work), or that adults no longer have the authority to set limits (not to worry…CPS does involve setting limits, but in a way that’s a little different and probably a lot more effective than what people might be used to).

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