Welcome!
If you are looking for support, you are in the right place
YPAD™ offers a wealth of resources and training programs to support you in your pursuit of safety and wellness Education and walking out your Certification. Even so, from time to time you may encounter challenges that require extra support. That’s what this page is for. Together, we can equip ourselves and our students with the tools they need to dance with confidence, joy, and, above all, safety.
The YPAD™ Support page provides three vital purposes outlined below:
Hotline Listings
YPAD™ does not operate a hotline or take the place of emergency services.
If you are in crisis, in imminent danger to yourself or others, or in need of immediate support, contact one of the national hotlines or call 911 for your local emergency service.
"As a studio owner, you never want to get an emergency call from the studio, but thanks to our YPAD™ training and certification, my teachers knew how to handle an emergency when I wasn’t there. I am grateful to report that everyone is okay. Thank you YPAD™ for preparing our teachers so well!"
Monique Rodriguez · Studio Owner, Michigan
YPAD™ Certified Support
Do you have a question or concern about a behavior you have observed or something that has been shared with you? Do you need support navigating an issue concerning artistic integrity or conflict resolution? YPAD™ Support provides a way for those who are YPAD™ Certified to request additional support from a YPAD™ Certified Coach or a referral to a YPAD™ Expert Connection. This is a free service for YPAD™ Certified Studios, Individuals, and Events.
Please email info@ypadnow.com to be connected with one of our Support Service members. Please note that this service is monitored during our business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 am-3 pm Central Time.
YPAD™ Support does not take the place of a crisis hotline. Immediate or acute safety concerns should always be directed to your local emergency services or child welfare providers.
Do you have a concern?
The mission of YPAD™ is to bring awareness and to provide guidance for one essential priority: the safety and health of dance students. If you have a concern with a YPAD™ certified individual, studio, or event, as it relates to the safety and health of students, please continue to the information below.
YPAD™’s 5-Tier Approach To Accountability
YPAD™ has established certain standards related to our certification, which includes procedures for addressing concerns. Please carefully consider your concern before submitting, and be advised that it takes more than a mere disagreement with a YPAD™ Certified Individual, Studio, or Event to justify a review. Please be advised that any concern must include documentation, evidence, and/or other information to support your concern.
The Share A Concern link provides a way to share anonymous concerns which are reviewed internally. If deemed appropriate, YPAD™ will request a dialogue call with the subject of the concern. Additional steps may be taken according to YPAD™’s 5-tier accountability model.
Internal reviews are confidential, and as such, YPAD™ does not provide the person who shared the concern with any information regarding actions YPAD™ may or may not take in regard to the person or organization named in the concern.
- Iterative Improvement: For example, perhaps a photo is shared or a song is played that raises artistic integrity concerns. YPAD™ will provide feedback to the certified individual or organization can make a better choice next time.
- Focused Fix: If there are repetitive concerns shared of the same nature, YPAD™ will ask for a demonstration or documentation that the concern has been addressed at a practice, policy, or personnel level.
- Review & Referral: Repetitive or mid-stakes issues may require the support of a YPAD™ Certified Coach or a YPAD™ Expert Connection, or a review of YPAD™ Certification materials and information to understand why the reported concern requires change.
- Suspension & Probation: High-stakes issues such as abuse allegations initiate immediate suspension pending internal review, followed by a probationary reinstatement period or termination.
- Termination of Certification: Depending on the nature of the high stakes issue, other repeated issues, an unwillingness to address concerns or an unsatisfactory result of an internal review, YPAD™ reserves the right to terminate YPAD™ Certification.
"When I noticed a student was struggling with body image, I reached out to YPAD™ for guidance. Thanks to my YPAD™ Certification, I knew when to reach out and thanks to their support service, I was able to get same day help and appropriate next steps. Thank you, YPAD™!"
Lori Gardner · Studio Owner, Illinois
YPAD™ is based in the United States. Though the education presented here is built upon U.S. standards, YPAD™ recognizes that there may be different standards in other cultures and countries across the globe. It is important to refer to the governance of your home country, state, province, or city to ensure consistent, legal compliance with the appropriate local regulations.
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Youth Protection Association for Dance™ is a division of Educational Standards LLC