BOP Program Statement 5337.01 § 9

Both individual members and teams must be certified. Individual CST members are certified

one time at the completion of the Basic CST Course by the course lead instructor. Institutional

CSTs must be certified yearly by either the Central Office CST Coordinator or a member of the

Regional CST. Regional CST Team Leaders are responsible for tracking annual certifications

and reporting them to the Central Office CST Coordinator. Teams will be given a rating during

certification: Below Standards, Meets Standards, or Exceeds Standards. Certifications must be

completed in person a minimum of every other year. In alternate years, teams can be certified

remotely. Teams receiving a rating of Below Standards must be certified in person yearly until a

rating of Meets or Exceeds Standards is achieved. Additionally, a Below Standards rating on

any element requires a corrective action plan be submitted, regardless of the team’s overall

rating. Regional CSTs do not require certification, but members of the Regional CSTs must

remain in good standing and certify with their Institutional CST. A worksheet for team

certification can be found in the CST resource materials. This worksheet will be provided to the

institution Executive Staff upon close-out of the review. The worksheet will be retained by the

Regional CST Team Leader and a copy will be sent to the Central Office CST Coordinator.

Team certification requirements are as follows:

a. Correctional Support Team Written Test. Each CST member will achieve a minimum

passing score of at least 70 points out of a possible 100 points on a written test. Team members

will have unlimited attempts to pass the test. The test will be available on an automated system

available through the Employee Development Department.

b. Institution Correctional Support Team Membership. Each facility maintains a minimum

P5337.01 4/4/2023 9

team complement of 10 per institution, consistent with Section 5 of this Program Statement.

c. Equipment. CSTs must be able to demonstrate they have adequate equipment (uniforms,

foul weather gear, signage, shelter supplies) for activities and activations.

d. Skills Demonstration. Through the use of role-plays and exercises, team members will

demonstrate adequate Stress/Psychological First Aid skills. Teams will also demonstrate

proficient communication skills both within the team and with other Crisis Management Teams.

During remote reviews, this standard can be met by a review of training records which

demonstrate training hours dedicated to skill acquisition and/or through interviews with

institution staff.

e. Family Support Center. The CST must provide documentation regarding the location of

the FSC. Ideally the FSC is located off institution grounds. For institutions where this is not

feasible, the CST must provide documentation of efforts to establish the FSC off-grounds or

provide justification of the rationale why this is not feasible. Teams will be expected to

demonstrate proficiency in setting up the FSC. During remote reviews, this can be achieved

through review of the team’s FSC activation plan.

f. Activity Log. Teams will present the previous calendar year’s activity log and be able to

demonstrate at least 6 activities which engaged staff and/or their families in wellness/resilience

activities. These activities must be in addition to activations for critical incidents. At least one

of these must include family members. In addition, CSTs will provide documentation of the

previous calendar year’s activations.

g. Team Proficiency. Through practical exercises or an actual event, each CST will be

evaluated to assess their overall effectiveness as a working unit. In addition, their ability to

interact effectively with other crisis management components will be assessed. During remote

reviews, this can be achieved through interviews with institution Executive Staff.