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P 2770 Seclusion and Restraint

Purpose

It is the purpose of this policy to:

Definitions:

“Authorized School Personnel” means school personnel who have received annual training in:

Assistive technology device” means any item, piece of equipment or product system that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capacities of a child with a disability.

Aversive behavioral interventions” means an intervention that is intended to induce pain or discomfort to a student for the purpose of eliminating or reducing maladaptive behaviors, including such interventions as: contingent application of noxious, painful, intrusive stimuli or activities; any form of noxious, painful or intrusive spray, inhalant or tastes; or other stimuli or actions similar to the interventions described above. The term does not include such interventions as voice control, limited to loud, firm commands; time-limited ignoring of a specific behavior; token fines as part of a token economy system; brief physical prompts to interrupt or prevent a specific behavior; interventions medically necessary for the treatment or protection of the student.

Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)” sets forth specific behavior interventions for a specific student who displays chronic patterns of problem behavior.

Chemical restraint” means the administration of a drug or medication to manage a student’s behavior that is not a standard treatment and dosage for the student’s medical condition.

Emergency situation” is one in which a student’s behavior poses a serious, probable threat of imminent physical harm to self or others.

Functional Behavior Assessment” a formal assessment to identify the function or purpose the behavior serves for the student so that classroom interventions and behavior support plans can be developed to improve behavior. The assessment could include observations and charting of the behavior and interviews with family, teachers, and the student, so as to determine the frequency, antecedent and response of the targeted behavior.

IEP” means a student’s Individualized Education Program as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Isolation” means the confinement of a student alone in an enclosed space without locking hardware.

Law enforcement officer” means any public servant having both the power and duty to make arrests for violations of the laws of this state.

Locking hardware” means mechanical, electrical or other material devices used to lock a door or to prevent egress from a confined area.

Mechanical restraint” means a device or physical object that the student cannot easily remove that restricts a student’s freedom of movement of or normal access to a portion of his or her body. This includes but is not limited to straps, duct tape, cords or garments. The term does not include assistive technology devices.

Physical escort” means the temporary touching or holding of the hand, wrist, arm, shoulder or back for the purpose of inducing a student who is acting out or eloping to walk to a safe location.

Physical restraint” means the use of person-to-person physical contact to restrict the free movement of all or a portion of a student’s body. It does not include briefly holding or hugging a student without undo force for instructional or other purposes, briefly holding a student to calm them, taking a student’s hand to transport them for safety purposes, physical escort or intervening in a fight.

Safe Room Placement” means the confinement of a student in an enclosed room without the use of locking hardware, in accordance with a student’s IEP, Section 504 plan, or other consent from the student’s parent/guardian. Safe Room Placement does not include supervised in-school suspension, detention, or timeout/time away used as disciplinary consequences in accordance with the district’s student discipline code. The Safe Room may only be used as a temporary placement for seclusion purposes, with egress restricted, in emergency situations while awaiting the arrival of law enforcement.

School personnel” means

Seclusion” means the confinement of a student alone in an enclosed space from which the student is physically prevented from leaving by locking hardware. Seclusion does not include Safe Room Placement, unless the student is placed in the Safe Room in an emergency situation and egress is restricted while the district awaits the arrival of law enforcement.

Section 504 Plan” means a student’s individualized plan developed by the student’s Section 504 multidisciplinary team after a pre-placement evaluation finding the student is disabled within the meaning of Section 504 and its implementing regulations.

Time out” means brief removal from sources of reinforcement within instructional contexts that does not meet the definition of seclusion or isolation. Time out includes both of the following:

Use of Restrictive Behavioral Interventions:

Nothing in this policy is intended to prohibit the use of time-out as defined in this section.

Seclusion as defined in this policy is prohibited except for an emergency situation while awaiting the arrival of law enforcement personnel as provided for in RSMo 160.263.

Isolation or Safe Room Placement, as defined in this policy, may only be used by authorized school personnel, as defined in this policy:

Use of isolation or Safe Room Placement requires all of the following:

Isolation or Safe Room Placement shall never be used as a form of punishment or for the convenience of school personnel.

If Safe Room Placement is used in accordance with a student’s IEP, Section 504 plan, or other consent from the student’s parent/guardian, the Safe Room will be utilized for that student if necessary and a staff member will be present in the room with the student at all times unless the student’s behavior escalates and an emergency situation exists.

In an emergency situation, as defined in this policy, a student may be secluded in a Safe Room without parental consent while the district awaits the arrival of law enforcement.

Physical restraint shall only be used in one of the three circumstances below:

Physical restraint shall:

Any school personnel using physical restraint shall:

Physical restraints should never be used as a form of punishment or for the convenience of school personnel.

Mechanical restraint shall only be used as specified in a student’s IEP or Section 504 plan with two exceptions:

Chemical restraints shall never be used by school personnel.

Aversive interventions that compromise health and safety shall never be used by school personnel.

Communication and Training

Following any situation involving the use of seclusion, isolation, Safe Room Placement, or restraint, as defined in this policy, a debriefing shall occur as soon as possible but no later than two (2) school days after the emergency situation. The debriefing shall include, at a minimum, a discussion of the events that led to the emergency and why the de-escalation efforts were not effective; any trauma reactions on the part of the student, other students or school personnel; what, if anything, could have been done differently; and an evaluation of the process.

Except as otherwise specified in a student’s IEP or Section 504 plan:

School districts shall ensure that all school personnel are trained annually regarding the policy and procedures involving the use of seclusion, isolation, Safe Room Placement, and restraint.

Students with Disabilities

The foregoing policy applies to all students. However, if the IEP team determines that a form of restraint or isolation or aversive behavior intervention may be appropriate in certain identified and limited situations, the team may set forth the conditions and procedures in the IEP or Section 504 plan. Any use of restraint, isolation Safe Room Placement, or aversive behavior interventions must be limited to what is set forth in the IEP or Section 504 plan.  Before adding the use of restraint, isolation, Safe Room Placement, or aversive behavior interventions to an IEP or Section 504 plan, the student must have undergone appropriate assessments to include, but not limited to, a formal functional behavior assessment and a positive behavior intervention plan must be developed, which indicates a plan to eliminate the use of the restraint, isolation, Safe Room Placement, or aversive behavior intervention over time.

Reports on Use of Seclusion, Isolation, Restraint, Safe Room Placement, or Aversive Behavior Interventions

Districts shall maintain records documenting the use of seclusion, isolation, restraint, safe room placement, and aversive behavior interventions showing each of the following: when, reason for use, duration, names of school personnel involved, whether students or school personnel were injured, name and age of the student, whether the student has an IEP, Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) or other personal safety plan, when the parents were notified, if the student was disciplined, and any other documentation required by federal or state law.

Applicability of this Policy

This policy applies to all district school personnel. School personnel assigned to programs not located on district premises (hospitals, detention centers, juvenile facilities, and mental health facilities) shall follow the policy and procedure of the facility/program where they work.


Board Approved Date: May 13, 2019
Last Updated: June 2019