Barit1: I have no idea whether the CRJ has typical VNAV, FLCH and VS climb/descent modes.
On the 757, we were taught to never use VS during climb, because of the very wide range of climb rates at different weights, altitudes. It was years ago when I flew it, but we only used VNAV.
VS was only used for non-precison approaches and can be risky during an approach; when you begin a descent, i.e. under 10,000' and make a mistake, VS did not capture your altitude, compared to FLCH. The syllabus required numerous non-precision approaches in Initial Training as a safeguard.
Pinnacle has fired numerous new-hires during Initial Training for the CRJ, following the tragic accident. The FAA must have put them under severe pressure (Don't know about training budgets, or whether they were reduced). Pinnacle allegedly have less tolerance for men who have training problems, compared to women. The wife of an Instructor Pilot there told me this. This is incidental, but a Pinnacle Check Airman (flew on us to DFW) told me that one poor guy went through a well-known (infamous?) regional airline program in Florida on the Beech 1900 and had too little actual instrument approach experience, despite his massive financial investment. Florida would not require as many as Michigan or Minnesota.