8240

8240 Physical Restraint and Behavioral Intervention

Students/Protections

Section I: Intent

The intent of these procedures is to ensure that every student participating in South Kingstown schools is free from unreasonable and unnecessary physical restraint and that such an intervention is used only in emergency situations after other less intrusive alternatives have failed or been deemed inappropriate due to safety risks. These procedures reflect a policy prohibiting corporal punishment. They promote the use of positive, preventive behavioral supports that significantly limit the need for physical intervention, restrict the use of physical force, and ensure that physical restraint is administered in the least intrusive manner possible. These procedures delineate appropriate practice in those instances where physical restraint is absolutely necessary to protect a student or students, staff and/or other school members from imminent, serious physical harm.

The South Kingstown School Department has established the procedures described in this document for the purposes of:

(a) Promoting student safety and preventing student violence, self-injurious behavior and suicide, including de-escalation of potentially dangerous behavior that may occur with an individual student or among groups of students;

(b) Establishing effective crisis intervention practices and, when necessary to ensure safety, appropriate physical intervention procedures;

(c) Keeping all school members informed regarding these procedures as well as preventive interventions, de-escalation, types of restraints and related safety considerations, administering physical restraint in accordance with behavioral intervention plans and/or known medical or psychological limitations;

(d) Identifying staff that are authorized to serve as a school-wide resource to assist other staff in proper administration of these practices, and provide these staff with advanced training beyond the basic information provided to all staff.

(e) Reporting crisis intervention/physical restraint incidences to parents, the South Kingstown School Department administration, and the Rhode Island Department of Education.

Emergency Situations

The South Kingstown School Department is committed to maintaining a safe school environment. While the procedures contained herein direct the use of crisis intervention/physical restraint, they do not prohibit any South Kingstown School Department teacher, employee or agent from using reasonable force to protect students, other persons or themselves from imminent, serious physical harm.

Section II: Interventions

1. Keeping All School Members Informed

Each school year, South Kingstown School Department policies and procedures described in this document are reviewed and provided to all school staff and parents of enrolled students. Others wishing to review a copy of this document can assess it by:

(1) The Building Administrator at each School Site

(2) Superintendent’s Office

307 Curtis Corner Road

Wakefield, RI 02879

(401) 792-9652

Within the first month of school, the staff training is conducted as outlined below. Staff who are employed after the school year begins are provided this training as part of their initial orientation within the first month of their employment as follows:

2. Staff Development Activities

Training Component	Training Activities
Review of District Procedures Regarding Prevention, Crisis Intervention, Physical Management and Emergency Restraint	District Wide Staff Orientation Day *TBD for new staff by Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Personnel Services
Positive Behavioral Supports for all Students	District Wide Staff orientation Day *TBD for new staff by Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Personnel Services
Discipline w/Dignity	District Wide Staff Orientation Day *TBD for new staff by Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Personnel Services
Behavioral Interventions for Challenging Behavior, Including Functional Behavioral Assessment	District Wide Staff Orientation Day *TBD for new staff by Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Personnel Services
Types of Physical Restraint that May Be Administered within South Kingstown Schools and Related Safety Considerations	District Wide Staff Orientation Day *TBD for new staff by Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Personnel Services
Understanding the Crisis Cycle and De-escalation During a Crisis	Targeted In-services for Elementary, Middle and Secondary Populations Including Practice of Strategies *TBD for new staff by Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Personnel Services
Administering Physical Restraint in Accordance with Individual Student Behavioral Intervention Plans and with Known Medical Psychological Limitations	Specific Advanced Training for Building Representatives from Each School Building 18 Hour Program Based on State District Standards

Section III: Methods for Promoting Safety and Preventing Violence

1. Social and Emotional Learning for All Students

The South Kingstown School District recognizes the importance of activities that create Community and nurture Social and Emotional Learning within each school as a potent means of prevention and the promotion of safety for all. Social and Emotional learning for students is addressed as appropriate as part of ongoing school improvement and professional development plans within each of the South Kingstown Schools.

Community is marked by shared safety, belonging, respect, caring, responsibility, productivity, and commitment among a group of people

At all grade levels within South Kingstown Schools adults and students routinely develop and use the skills of:

Awareness of self and others

Communication

Cooperation

Helping

Affirmation/celebration

Problem-solving

The South Kingstown School District recommends and supports the following practices and routines of the school day to build and sustain community and social emotional learning

District-wide development and promotion of consistent policies regarding discipline

Analysis of SALT data to make decisions about climate as part of school improvement planning

Inclusion of school climate/behavioral support strategies, tactics or action plans in district or school improvement plan

Informing students about non-negotiable rules based on policy and law

Teaching and reinforcing self-management skills

Ensuring that every student is well known personally by one adult in the school and that every student has at least one clearly designated adult to go to for support

Establishing ongoing student leadership opportunities for all students in the school

Creating strategies to welcome and orient new and returning students

Promoting behavioral problem-solving and support planning as the work of existing school teams such as the Teacher Support Team

Establishing ongoing student leadership opportunities for all students in the school

2. Positive Behavioral Supports

To promote pro- social behavior and reduce the need for Crisis Intervention Strategies the South Kingstown School District recommends use of behavioral intervention strategies that exemplify the following characteristics:

C They emphasize learning and relearning

C They are designed to promote safety, respect and responsibility

C They are designed to be preventative

C They are proactive

C They are potentially effective for all students

C They reflect a way thinking about behavior, with a belief that positive results can be achieved with the right strategies and supports

3. Behavioral Interventions to Support Students Facing or Posing Behavioral Challenges

To support productive relationships, student learning and to enhance connection to school for students who face or pose emotional or behavioral challenges, the following procedures are established in the South Kingstown School Department.

Functional Behavioral Assessment

Individualized Behavioral Intervention Strategies and Plans:

Use of School-based teams —Teacher Support Teams and 504 Teams

Community Based Inter- Agency Agreements

Section VI: Crisis Intervention: De-escalation Procedures

1. Crisis Intervention: De-escalation Procedures

Despite the use of positive behavioral supports and interventions, there may be instances when the behavior of one or more students escalates beyond the student’s immediate control, creating danger of violence or self-injury. Safety precautions considered, the first course of action should be the application of specific intervention strategies designed to diffuse the situation by addressing students’ emotional needs and de-escalating the immediate behavior. The intent of de-escalation is to restore the student(s) capacity to control the immediate impulse/behavior and move toward safer or more constructive resolution of the immediate problem situation.

In the event of student behavior representing a crisis, the following de-escalation strategies should be employed:

§ Redirection via P.E.P method

§ Active Listening

§ Review of expectations

§ Development of Alternative Strategies to address central issues

§ Removal of Student

§ Removal of self and/or others

Section V: Crisis Intervention - Physical Restraint

1. Restraint Procedures

It is the policy of the South Kingstown School Department that physical restraint/crisis intervention is used only in the following circumstances:

Non-physical interventions were not or would not be effective; and

The student’s behavior poses a threat of imminent, serious physical harm to self and/or others; and, where applicable,

In circumstances where a behavioral intervention plan is already developed for the

student, the plan has been fully implemented as specified.

The South Kingstown School Department limits the use of such force to the amount and duration necessary and reasonable to protect a student or another member of the school community from assault or imminent, serious physical harm.

In the event that physical restraint becomes necessary:

1) Every attempt should be made to alert additional school personnel for observation or assistance.

2) Only the safest physical restraint methods are to be used.

3) Whenever possible, the student should be transported (may include a basket hold or a 2,3 or 4-person carry) to a neutral and safe place to be restrained or to continue a restraint.

4) Every effort should be made to isolate the restraint situation, to avoid prolonging or escalating the situation.

5) If the duration of a physical restraint is prolonged, or student becomes deliberately and dangerously assaultive, the students’ parent(s) or guardian(s) must be notified to remove him/her from school as soon as possible to avoid further danger. Any contact with police should follow the South Kingstown School District Zero Tolerance Policy.

6) If the student exhibits suicidal or homicidal indicators, the district or school (crisis team) must be contacted for further intervention in accordance with district policy.

7) The student should be released slowly from the restraint, in stages, to ensure that she/he has regained self-control and no longer presents an apparent danger.

8) Any injury occurring during a restraint must be treated immediately by the appropriate medical personnel Injuries will be recorded in the Physical Restraint Report.

9) As soon as possible following the incident, but no later than the next school day, the staff member(s) who administered the restraint will document the incident in a Physical Restraint Report and inform the appropriate administrator Building Administrator. The report is forwarded to Superintendent’s Office before the close of the school day.

10) Follow-up steps include parent notification, review of restraint with student, staff involved and the Building Administrator and/or designee, and consideration of further action, including preventive behavioral interventions.

2. Restraint Prohibitions

Physical restraint is prohibited in the following circumstances, consistent with Rhode Island Physical Restraint Regulations effective September 1, 2002:

(a) As a means of punishment;

(b) As an intervention designed to, or likely to, cause physical pain;

(d) As in any intervention which is designed to subject, used to subject, or likely to subject the student to verbal abuse, ridicule or humiliation, physical pain, or which can be expected to cause excessive emotional trauma;

(e) As in a restrictive intervention which employs a device or material or objects that simultaneously immobilize all four extremities, including the procedure known as prone containment, except that prone containment may be used by trained personnel as a limited emergency intervention when a documented part of a previously agreed upon written behavioral intervention plan;

(f) As in seclusion, unless under constant surveillance and observation when documented as part of a previously agreed upon written behavioral intervention plan;

(g) As in any intervention that precludes adequate supervision of the student;

(h) As in any intervention, which deprives the student of one or more of his or her senses.

3. Restraint Safety Procedures

The following safety procedures are in effect, consistent with Rhode Island Physical Restraint Regulations effective September 1, 2002:

(a) Restraint is administered in such a way so as to prevent or minimize physical harm. If, at any time during a physical restraint/crisis intervention, the student demonstrates significant physical distress, the student is released from the restraint immediately, and school staff are directed to take steps to seek medical assistance.

(b) Program staff must review and consider any known medical or psychological limitations and/or behavioral intervention plans regarding the use of physical restraint/crisis intervention on an individual student.

(c) Restraint is administered in such a way that the student is never at any time prevented from breathing or speaking. During the administration of a restraint, a staff member will continuously monitor the physical status of the student, including skin color and respiration. A restraint ceases immediately upon determination by the staff member administering the restraint that the student is no longer at risk of causing imminent physical harm to him or herself or others.

(d) Following the release of a student from a restraint, the following follow-up procedures are implemented:

Appropriate staff will review the incident with the student, as appropriate, to address the behavior that precipitated the restraint;

The Building Administrator and/or designee will review the incident with the staff person(s) who administered the restraint to discuss whether proper restraint procedures were followed and consider whether any follow-up is appropriate for the student and for students who witnessed the incident.

The Building Administrator and/or design will review the incident with the student and consider whether any follow-up is appropriate for the student and for students who witness the incident.

School personnel will meet to determine whether the student requires a behavioral intervention plan as part of his or her education program, or, if one already exists, whether that plan needs to be modified or adjusted. The student’s parent may be involved in this process as well.

Section VI: Authorized Staff

Only trained personnel authorized by the South Kingstown School District may administer physical restraint/crisis intervention with students. Whenever possible, the administration of a physical restraint/crisis intervention shall be witnessed by at least one adult who does not participate in the restraint. This training requirement does not preclude any teacher, employee or agent of the South Kingstown School District from using reasonable force necessary to protect students, other persons, or themselves from imminent, serious physical harm.

The following staff have received advanced training in the use of crisis intervention/physical restraint and are authorized either to administer restraint or to also serve as a school-wide resource to assist staff in ensuring proper administration of crisis interventions and physical restraint.

Section VII: Advanced Training for Authorized Staff

1.Training Requirements

In addition to the basic training provided all staff regarding these procedures, the following advanced training is required for staff considered by the South Kingstown Schools to be qualified to administer physical restraint/crisis intervention procedures with students:

Crisis Prevention

Standard – Prevention content must address the need to insure the health and safety of all students, prior to and in avoidance of, physical restraint.

Main components including but not limited to:

Environmental analysis and organization

Decision making in crisis

Non-threatening, nonverbal communication

Relationship building

Staff self-awareness/self control

Cultural sensitivity

Crisis Intervention

Standard – Intervention content must address the need to insure the health and safety of students when it has been determined that physical restraint will be required.

Due to the nature of the physical difficulty and lack of frequent opportunity that these skills require, simulated experience needs to be a prominent training component. These simulated experiences need to not only be significant, but also take into consideration the abilities of the individuals being trained.

Crisis Termination

Standard – Termination content must address the need to prepare the student for release from restraint and to prepare both the student and the environment for the student’s re-entry into regular programming.

Main components including but not limited to:

Debriefing

Terminating restraint

Problem resolution

Crisis Documentation

Standard – Documentation content addresses the need to ensure that proper procedural, medical, due process, and proficiency documentation has been After a physical restraint has been terminated, documentation needs to include the legal responsibilities of writing up the restraint, investigation of injuries, and knowledge of complaint procedure. In addition, documentation regarding proficiency in adhering to the established district standards.

For staff designated to serve as staff trainers or resource persons for colleagues and parents in the use of crisis intervention/physical restraint, the following program of advanced training required

Completion of 18 hours Advanced Training Program and full Participation in Quarterly review training

Section VIII: Reporting Instances of the Use of Physical Restraint/Crisis Intervention

As soon as possible, but not later than the next school day, the staff member who administers a physical restraint/crisis intervention submits a written report to the Superintendent of Schools Via his/her Building Administrator using the reporting format in Appendix A.

The specific Building Administrator maintains an ongoing written record of all reported instances of physical restraint.

As soon as possible the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s) are notified of the restraint incident. The Building Administrator maintains records of parent notification.

Each year, as part of its Discipline Report the South Kingstown School Department submits a report regarding all incidents of the use of physical restraint/crisis intervention to the Rhode Island Department of Education.

Section XI: Procedures for Investigating Complaints

Complaints regarding restraint must be submitted, in writing, to the principal within 48 hours of receiving said report. Principal will notify the Superintendent, investigate the complaint, and respond to the parent, in writing, within five workdays. If the satisfactory resolution of the complaint is not achieved at the building level, the complaint may be submitted to the Superintendent and, in turn, to the School Committee.

South Kingstown School Department

Physical Restraint/Crisis Intervention Report

Date of Incident:____________________ Date of Report:______________________

Person Completing Report: __________________________ ________________________________

name title/position

Person(s) who administered restraint: _________________________ ________________________________

name title/position

Physical restraint began at: _______________ and ended at: ________________. Duration: ____________

time time minutes

Administrator informed following the restraint: ________________________ _________________________

name (please initial) title/position

Observers: ______________________________ ____________________________

______________________________ ____________________________

Location and activity in which restrained student, other students and staff in the vicinity were engaged when the restraint occurred:

Behavior prompting the restraint:

Description of de-escalation efforts and alternatives attempted:

Justification for initiating physical restraint/crisis intervention:

Description of the physical restraint/crisis intervention implemented

(a) Hold(s) utilized and rationale for type of hold:

(b) Student’s behavior/reactions during restraint:

(d) Did an injury occur in the process of restraint? Yes _____ No_____

If yes: Student and/or Staff injured: __________________________________________________

Nature of the injury:

(e) Medical care provided (Include care provided, to whom, by whom):

Follow-up Action

(a) Further action(s) that the school has taken or will take:

(b) (if applicable) Development or modification of a behavior intervention plan as a result of the physical restraint (Include reference to any such plans contained in separate documents.):

Parent(s) or guardian(s) of the student referenced in this report have been informed about this restraint incident and have reviewed this report.

Parent or guardian signature: ________________________________________ Date:______________

School personnel conferencing with parent: ____________________________________________________

name and position

Approved: 8/27/02